


Healing Gotham

by RainsDownInAfrica



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batwoman (Comic), Martian Manhunter (Comics), The Batman (Movie 2021)
Genre: Alien/Human Relationships, Bisexual Bruce Wayne, Comfort Food, Dark, F/F, Gen, Implied Femslash, Implied Slash, Introspection, M/M, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:27:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26227906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainsDownInAfrica/pseuds/RainsDownInAfrica
Summary: Two of the world's greatest detectives, both in the same city, working against the same enemies. They don't like each other, yet, and soon they will engage in a inevitable conflict....
Relationships: Hank Henshaw | J'onn J'onzz & Maggie Sawyer, J'onn J'onzz & Kate Kane, J'onn J'onzz/Bruce Wayne, Kate Kane & Bruce Wayne, Kate Kane/Maggie Sawyer
Kudos: 12





	1. A Broken City

**Author's Note:**

> Based on Matt Reeves' Batman world, with the addition of Katherine Rebecca Kane as Batwoman, J'onn J'onzz as Martian Manhunter, Maggie Sawyer, Harvey Dent and Bane.

Seagull's singing, rain, that was the soundtrack Carmine Falcone's ''good fellas'' were more than used to hear in the Gotham nights at the Harbor where they smuggled loads of drugs, guns, and also a green-liquide that they couldn't recognize or know, not directed to Falcone himself but to one person who was in affair with him.  
Every Friday night, at 4:00 a.m. the cargo arrived at the harbor, regular as clockwork. The Italo-American gangsters were entitled to take the content and bring it to The Boss as soon as possible.

''C'mon guys, let's be quick. Veloci.'' The errand boy, dressed up with a casual blue maillot, a naval officer's hat on his head encouraged the others as he took the first pack and then passed it to another one behind him.

''Like it's easy, these boxes are so heavy...'' The other man commented, dressed with a white and yellow striped jersey, as he passed the box to another one again.

''Martinelli, I still wonder what made you leave the Navy and join us.'' The third guy wearing a green jacket added, as the box went to another man.

''I did not leave the Navy, you idiot. I got discharged. When I came back here in Gotham, I had a family. My wife and my three kids had to eat. Falcone gave me a chance when nobody else did.'' The first Errand Man admitted, as he passed another box to the second one.

''It's hard for everyone, man. Sometimes I see that freakin' Bruce Wayne in the television. That guy thinks he knows what it means suffering because he lost his parents. I wonder how he would be handling poverty.'' The second in charge at the Harbor gave back the box to another one not looking back at him.

''So, where do we bring these boxes?'' A metallic voice came into the pitch, replacing the third guys's voice and picking up the box. Once the Criminals turned around, they saw him. The Batman, right in front of them. 

''You are...real...'' Martinelli commented, remaining distant, then pulled off a gun and started shooting at him out of fear. Same thing done by the others, with no success. Every bullet just bounced.

''Are you done now?'' The imposing black figure asked, and the criminals took some steps back, terrorized. ''You are right to be afraid.'' 

The Batman attacked them with all of his renown fury after those words and destroyed them, as usual. Batman took a box with him, leaving the others and the tied henchmen for the GCPD, then disappeared in the shadows like he was used to.  
Ten seconds later, the Gotham City Police Department just arrived at the scene. The Police Captain Jim Gordon followed by the Detective John Jones arrived to the scene and found the henchmen tied, all reporting different and very clear lesions and traumas.

''He stroke again.'' Jim Gordon said, looking at the colleague.

''Seems like this guy knows everything before us can even finish investigations. I don't know how he does that.'' Detective John Jones added, getting close to one of the boxes and scanning it with his martian vision, secretly of course.

''Guess you've seen more crazy things in one month in Gotham then in years under the Rocky Mountains.'' Gordon said, smiling to the other Detective.

''Denver has its perks, his flaws, but is also very interesting and curios. Sometimes, weird as Gotham can be. It's this Batman that bugs me more than the criminals.'' Jones added, ending the scanning, his eyes going back to normal.

''I don't believe you. About Batman, he's just a man who wants to do the right thing. Same thing we try to do everyday.'' Gordon replied. 

''One day I will tell you about a certain Human Flame... and as far as I believe in Batman's well intentions, look at here. One of them has to go to the hospital because of how much Batman beaten him. This is not Justice, Jim. Sooner or later, he's going to kill someone.'' John said, getting then close to a container, a batarang was still stuck there. So he took it. 

''We have hundreds of Human Flame here, man... '' Gordon said, then ordered to the others to pack everything up and started to smoke a cigarette.

''Are you trying to join them?'' John Jones replied, moving away as far as possible from the colleague.

''But I was just... smoking...'' Gordon widened his arms. ''Let me finish this, then we go.''

\---------------------------------------------------

9:00 am, GCPD Department. 

The Coffee smell was invading every meter of the Gotham Police's headquarters and only God knew how much Gordon needed some good coffee, after the productive but tiring night out in the first line. Thanks to Batman he now got Carmine Falcone's drugs, informations about his operations and his henchmen in custody. Still, after the analysis of the contents of the boxes, Gordon didn't seem to be happy or relieved.

''How is it possible...'' Gordon asked, looking down at his laptop.

''A man from Portugal send the drug to Falcone, his henchmen sells it, he gets the money and the credit for it.'' Jones replied, not even noticing the coffee next to him.

''I know that. I mean, how is that possible that nothing of these connects to Cobblepot? I am sure that he's also behind all of this, and I just can't prove that. It's getting frustrating...'' Jim said, sipping on his coffee.

''You will get him, Jim.'' An assertive and reassuring voice made his entrance in the scene, and joined the two detectives in their office. 

''Harvey. What a pleasure.'' Jim Gordon smiled at the District Attorney, while John saluted with the hand. ''Good morning, Mr. Dent.''

''So, I've heard we have updates on Falcone. Finally, I will be able to put that man behind a cage.'' Harvey said, smiling happily. Nothing made him happier than Justice.

''After him, another boss will shine Harvey. It's just how things go. There's no time to celebrate.'' John Jones said.

''Got to agree with the New Entry.'' As much as a new entry could John be after a month of working in Gotham. Apparently, he was still new to the twenty years GCPD member Jim Gordon.

''Then I will arrest the other one. And the next one after him. That's the fight, I will continue as long as I can flip a coin.'' Harvey said, then he really made flip his coin and after Gordon gave him the files about Carmine Falcone he left the room. 

''At least he's getting his man...'' Gordon sentenced, with a surrendered tone. 

''Good for him.'' J'onn commented, still looking at the batarang he collected the night before. Touching it. So sharp and light weight. Very useful, had to admit. He just wanted to know Batman more. Whoever it was why he was wasting his life to fight crime? Every time the Martian got in contact with the Bat he could have felt a conflicted, troubled mind. Too much even for a martian, probably, but still there was something that was so much interesting and he didn't even know what. Only a knock to the door woke John and Gordon from their thoughts.

''May I? I've analyzed the liquid you requested, Mister Jones.'' The black curly haired woman made his entrance and offered to Jones a little bottle of the serum and a camera containing a footage.

''Nice work, Agent Montoya.'' John commented, then took the compound in his hands, and the camera. 

''It's called Venom, it's produced in Santa Prisca, apparently. It enhances the body of the people who injects it into their own veins like a steroid but it also makes them invulnerable apparently.'' Renee concluded.

''For a short time period, right?'' Gordon asked.

''Not exactly.'' Renee suddenly replied.

''Really a nice work...'' J'onn said again while looking at the security footage of a jewelry that was being violated by a clearly ''Venomed'' super soldier with a mask on.

''He's theatrical. He's a danger. A great one, as you can see bullets bounce off his body. He's unbeatable with that venom.'' Montoya added.

''Will see about that, I guess..Do we have a name for the guy?'' John said, reassuring Renee.

''He makes himself call Bane.'' Renee said, nodding to the Martian in disguise, waiting for Detective Jones' response.

''Bane, you said? I will find him, if it's the last thing I do.''


	2. Heroes Join Forces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Bruce meet for the first time, as Kate and Maggie are enjoying their time together, and Gordon and Dent see a glimmer of hope of getting Cobblepot...

Harvey Dent had already arrived at the Press Conference that he decided to hold that day.  
A small group of people armed of their umbrellas were following it live, near to the District Attorney, while the vast majority of the citizens were following it on the television.  


''Citizens of Gotham, I know that we are going through difficult times. I know that the scum that has terrorized our city for decades isn't defeated yet, but I wanted to share with all of you the news: The Mafia Boss, Carmine Falcone, leader of the Falcone family, has been arrested and charged. He will soon face justice, like at least 150 of his henchmen. I know that the Night is still dark, but I can promise you that night is the darkest right before the dawn. And the Dawn is coming.''

Harvey Dent extracted a flower from the pocket of his jacket and left it on the ground, right in front of the monument in memory of all the Mafia's victims. In the public, far away from Dent, a young man with a pair of crystal blue eyes, and a golden brown hairs was looking directly at him, with admiration, and started to clap his hands to the District Attorney, same as the others around him. Even the sky calmed down, and the rain lost intensity.  
While distancing himself from the crowd, the young man ran into another man, taller than him, with a GCPD badge, and their tormented eyes met. For the very first time. 

''You should be more careful where you go, Mister Wayne. You never know who you could run into, in Gotham.'' 

''I'm always careful, I've learned on my own skin that I have to be, many years ago, Detective...?'' Bruce Wayne closed his eyes for a moment, and looked down.

''Jones. Detective John Jones.''

''Jones. Jones... Never heard of a Gotham Police Department Detective with that name. Are you new?'' Bruce asked to the man.

''Why would a billionaire be interested in the GCPD? Thought you were only interested in cars, women and parties.'' Jones brought the hands to his own hips.

''Maybe I want to know who to call when things go bad during my parties or I get in troubles.'' Bruce smirked at the Detective, then went away.

''I guess it happens frequently.'' J'onn muttered to himself. Of course he didn't believe the playboy, but their encounter other than being interesting revealed him more than he could expect, thanks to the immediate bond of their minds.

In the meantime, lying on the sofa, and the television on, Katherine Kane and her fiancée Maggie Sawyer were following Harvey Dent's speech, Kate's arms wrapped around her woman. She really tried to hold her as strong as she could. 

''Do you really have to go?'' Kate asked.

'' What do I say to Gordon?'' Maggie laughed while replying.

''That you got sick, don't you know how to fake a sore throat?'' Kate said, kissing the shoulder of the other.

''You don't know Gordon, he doesn't fall on things like this so easily. But I can make you a promise. Tonight, I will bring you in a very special place.'' The GCPD agent smirked, and turned around to gave a long kiss to her fiancèe, the last one before she had to go to work. 

Another person who had to work was surely John Jones, already at the GCPD. He was still thinking about Bruce Wayne, about his tormented eyes, too much for a rich guy who had an easy life as people liked to say about him in that city.  
The pain, the suffering of losing everything, J'onn knew it all back on Mars.  
Wayne was broken, same way he was, underneath the skin, underneath the moral integrity that badge forced him to keep, J'onn was a destroyed man who had lost his wife, his daughters, his entire world. John shook his head and then came back to analyze the venom, sure that it was the solution to his case.  
The same case, that afternoon Bruce Wayne was working on among the others on his secret Bat cave, alongside his waiter Alfred Pennyworth. 

''What he uses this for, Master Bruce?'' 

''He uses this to boost his own physics. Experiments I've done before proves it.'' 

''Like steroids?''

''More powerful than that.'' Bruce said to Alfred, as they both stared at each others.

''So, without this...'' Alfred said, nodding.

''All I need is a serum. The Anti-Venom'' Bruce finished.

''It's almost Tea hour, Master Bruce, I go prepare some as you keep working on it.''

As Bruce was brightening up a little, the Batcave radio intercepted a message from The GCPD, earlier than the usual.

''This is Harvey Dent, I got a tip, I repeat, I got-a-tip. Gordon, if you are hearing me, The Penguin is planning to take advantage from the Gotham's criminal wars that is going to start for Falcone's heritage. He's making money by selling arms to both sides of the conflict. My source says that the exchange is set to happening at the Iceberg Lounge tonight with a certain Sal Maroni.''

''Let's fucking go now. Let's. Fucking. Go.'' At the GCPD, Lieutenant just jumped from his chair, hearing the news. He'd been waiting that moment for two years. Jones, in the meantime, left the station..

Ten minutes later, while Alfred was preparing the Tea in the kitchen of the Wayne Manor, the doorbell rang, so he went to open.

''May I help you, Sir?'' Alfred politely asked to the man standing outside, that showed him the badge.

''I'm Detective Jones, and I...uhm... have something that belongs to Bruce Wayne. When we ran into each others today, I guess he dropped... this.''

J'onn exhibited the Batarang he had found to the Harbor two nights before to Alfred, who was clearly not prepared to it. 

''Don't worry, I'm not going to reveal his secret. I'm here to help. Our interests coincide, after all.''

Two minutes later, Detective Jones and Bruce Wayne were once again face to face, taking an unexpected tea together, sat at the same desk. 

''I appreciate that you don't want to share my secret, but I don't need any help as you can see.'' Batman sentenced.

''You don't, probably, but I do need yours. I want to stop Bane, and I know you are working on it too.''

''I am.''

''And you're going to hand him over to the GCPD the same, so why not work with us, unofficially?'' John asked him.

''First, I need to know how did you connect the Batarang to me.'' Bruce asked, curiously, as John was the first who had discovered his secret.

''You are not the only one to have secrets, Mister Wayne. I know how heavy can be the weight of two identities, how much losing everything and everyone loved can change somebody. At this point, the only thing that it's worth living for is Justice.'' 

''I prefer Vengeance.'' Bruce gazed into his eyes, and John felt again that shiver that he had felt the first time. Something so powerful, electrifying, a sensation he hadn't felt for centuries. ''My cards are on the table, you know my secret.''

''Do you believe in aliens, Bruce Wayne?'' 

Bruce paused, but held the gaze. He himself had notice something different whenever their eyes met. He already knew that Jones wasn't like anybody he had ever met before, and his words before really got through him but... alien? 

''Well, I...''

As Bruce was unsure, a red spiral wrapped Jones' body for a while, and once it was over, an alien being went out of it. His green and muscled body was the nearest to perfection thing that Bruce had ever seen in his life. The alien's arms were at least three times his own, not to mention how tall he was. 

''My name is J'onn J'onzz. My home planet is Ma'aleca'andra, or how you would call it, Mars.''

''Which make you a Manhunter but... from Mars?'' Bruce asked, raising from his chair and getting near to him. He had to look closely. 

''The Martian Manhunter is the most accurate name, if you really want to give me one.''

''So, if you have these powers... why you need my help?''

''Because I can't be myself on Earth. I can't use this form for long and in public. People who aren't Bruce Wayne would be scared of me. John Jones has to stop Bane. And he needs The Batman's help.''

''How can we help each other?'' Bruce crossed his arms, but his eyes couldn't just avoid respectfully eyeing the alien's six pack, occasionally. 

''Gordon and Dent think that Cobblepot will meet Sal Maroni, the man who wants to take Falcone's place, tonight at the Lounge.'' J'onn said, his hand got to touch Bruce's one that was handling the Venom in order to reach for the steroid that he took from him.

''But you have different idea...'' Bruce's eyes got down to the hands that touched for a while, enough to making him feel a strange sensation. He surely never touched a Martian before. 

''I think it's a trap. And I also have a plan. Would you fancy a dinner at the Iceberg Lounge?'' 

J'onn said, shaking the venom, then took his human form again.

Bruce nodded, slightly, as he took off his Bat mask, revealing his face still covered by the eye make-up, a vision that left the Martian without words. And he didn't even know why.

''Enlighten me, Mr. J'onzz.''

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In his human persona, John Johnes has a similar appearance to John David Washington.


	3. The Iceberg Lounge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious figure come to play.  
> Kate, Maggie, Bruce and J'onn are enjoying their ''date'' at the Iceberg Lounge.  
> Dent and Gordon are on the tracks of Penguin, while the Bat and the Manhunter want Bane...

Four hours later.  
The Iceberg Lounge.  
The eccentric announcer, with an even more eccentric and surely unusual top hat was presenting the new artist.

''It is my great pleasure to offer you our greatest treasure. It is my privilege, to have in this siége, her majesty, the only one, ma... Cherie.''

The announcer smirked, then he took off his hat. Somebody was questioning about the use of the french word ''siège'' that meant place in French, known to most of the upper-class Gothamites present there, but had a completely different meaning in English. Was it an intended pun?  
Cherie approached the stage, and music began as soon as the mic was in her hands, so that she could play her masterpiece ''Betcha Never.''

''Well, you weren't kidding when you talked about a special place, Maggie.'' Kate poured a little bit of red wine. ''What?''

''I don't know, something about that announcer was... off.'' Maggie said, thinking more about it, about the way that man was acting. There was something in his eyes, his rhymes, that was definitely more than off.

''Honey, this is Gotham. If you look deeper, you'll find something off even in me.'' Kate smiled at Maggie, taking her hand.

Betcha neva, never ever.  
Betcha neva, never ever...  
Don't tell me that you don't like anything about me  
I've seen it in your eyes that look...

''Here you are wrong. You are absolutely perfect, Kate. And trust me, I've gone deep enough.'' Maggie winked at her. 

''Oh, fuck you, Sawyer.'' Kate said, drinking her wine and laughing.

''Maybe later, if you're lucky enough...'' 

Betcha neva thought we get this far  
Betcha neva, never ever...  
Betcha neva you touch my heart...  
Betcha neva, betcha neva...

As Kate and Maggie were enjoying a long-gaze, with their hands intertwined, both smiled happily and then decided to make a toast.  
The glass of the matching mirrored another couple in the opposite table, and a man approaching them. Everybody stopped once the man made his appearance near that table. 

Oswald Cobblepot was surely respected in his own yard. 

‘’ Mister Wayne, what a pleasure having you here.’’ Penguin smiled at the man. ‘’And who is this… lovely woman?’’ Oswald got closer to the raven haired woman, wearing a long green closed jacket and a pair of elegant trousers. 

‘’Mr. Cobblepot, I’d like you to meet Hino Rei, Business woman coming from Denver. I hope you don’t mind us talking about business in your lounge.’’ Bruce stated, winking at Hino Rei.

‘’Hino Rei? What a fancy name. However, do as you please, Mr. Wayne.’’ 

One of the waiters came to Cobblepot and said something to his ear.

‘’I’ll leave you to your… ‘’business’’ things. I’m sure you will have a lot of fun… heh heh…’’ 

After that, Penguin kissed Hino’s hand and then quickly disappeared.

‘’Pig.’’ Hino commented, once he went away.

‘’He is.’’ Bruce agreed, then smiled at his date.

‘’I hate the way men look at me in here, they all seem like they want to eat me like I’m a biscuit or something like that.’’ Hino said.

‘’First time being a woman in public, J’onn?’’ Bruce said, smiling at the disguised Manhunter.

‘’First time being a woman in Cobblepot’s house.’’ J'onn replied.

‘’Why do you think he left the place all of a sudden, J’onn?’’ Bruce had some doubts.

‘’The trap.’’

‘’The trap. And my cousin Kate is here…’’ Bruce glanced at her cousin's and her girlfriend's table, worried.

‘’She will be fine.’’ J'onn caressed the other's hand.

‘’I know, you’re here.’’ Bruce said, looking at him.

‘’You are here.’’ As the tension between the two seemed to be growing, Bruce drank a little bit of his white wine then kept going.’ ’However, the accent is flawless, but Hino Rei is really a kind of giveaway…’’ Bruce said, laughing.

‘’ Not that Cobblepot had the sensibility to see and like Sailor Moon anyway.’’ J’onn debated, laughing back at him. 

‘’No, he probably not. Wait, are you saying I’m sensible?’’

‘’At least you don’t want to eat me.’’ J’onn glanced at Bruce.

‘’We’re here for work.’’ The Billionaire commented.

‘’What if we weren’t?’’ Hino Rei asked him 

Bruce stopped for a minute, gazing into the woman’s eyes, and was about to reply when J’onn interrupted him.

‘’Something is happening.’’

The place started to tremble all around them, and the front door of the Lounge opened with some men launched against it, and then Bane entered from the open door.

''Donde està Cobblepot?'' He started asking to every single person he'd ran into, sometimes pushing them against a wall. ''Where is Cobblepot?''

Outside the Iceberg Lounge, stationing, Harvey Dent and Gordon immediately got out of their cars as Gordon received a message from his colleague Sawyer and ran towards the Lounge. Something big was happening.  
In the meantime, Bane had locked up the place and made everybody's his hostages.  
Dent and Gordon, unluckily, got too late.

''Crap!... I'll call back-ups, you stay here.'' Gordon said to Dent, who approved and remained calm, trying to reach for GCPD’s officer Maggie Sawyer inside, getting no replies.

''You! Keep singing.'' Inside the Lounge, Bane ordered the singer, who had stopped, given the situation, and so she kept going on.

The Santa Prisca's former inmate took the liberty of drinking some of the finest bottles Cobblepot had on his bar, and then destroyed them. 

''Who the hell you think you are to come here and ruin my date?'' Kate Kane raised from her place and went near the Big Man, getting his attention. Maggie was desperate. She knew how stubborn Kate was but that? That was beyond craziness.

''Little chica is brave. Little girl is tough...'' Bane made some steps towards her, his muscles getting more and more defined. 

Hino Rei’s eyes became red as Mars.

‘’It’s time.’’ J’onn said. 

Bruce nodded and left the area, temporarily.

The monstrous being prepared his super punch, ready to unload it on Kate, when Maggie ran towards both and then jumped to save Kate from the deadly punch, ending with her near a wall. 

''You okay, Kane?''

''Better than what I expected to be ten seconds ago.'' She said, holding her girlfriend in her arms.

Bane didn't lose his spirit, however, and approached both the women. ''You want to fight me? I LIKE to fight, chicas.''

''Then you are going to love me.'' They only heard that phrase and then Bane flew through several walls until he found himself way outside the local.

''Was it Batman?'' Kate asked her girlfriend.

''I think so?'' Maggie blinked, then hugged Kate.

A green humanoid being was standing beside Bane, in an alley not so far away from the Lounge but still way hidden from anybody's sight. A sky blue cape on. 

''Who or what are you supposed to be now?'' Bane asked what he could clearly tell was an alien.

''I am Justice.''

The Green Figure approached him, as his own muscles got bigger than Bane's heads and then used his martian powers to get in his mind and making him believe that he was being beaten, while in the real world J'onn had come back to his human form before anybody could see him and The Batman had came out of nowhere to inject the anti-venom serum into his body, and then Detective Jones handcuffed him for good. Then The Batman disappeared.

''Eduardo Dorrance aka Bane, you're under arrest.'' 

Gordon came just in time with Dent and the rest of the department to recover Bane. ''Nice job, Jones. Nice job. Thought you took a free night. Any track of Cobblepot?''

''He left before Bane came. Probably one of his henchmen told him.'' Jones said, as both him and Gordon sighed.

''He got away again.'' Gordon stated, knowing that until they wouldn't have stopped The Penguin, the spiral of crime in Gotham wouldn't have really stopped. 

''This is a great victory. Another one. This way, we'll get Cobblepot.'' Dent commented, complimenting his team, then got away with Dorrance under custody. ''You're not getting out.''

''Jones.'' Gordon claimed his attention. ''I'm glad you stopped him, but... how did you do? I went to look for back-ups and you weren't there. What happened here?''

''It was The Batman. He stopped Bane, injecting the Anti Venom into his veins. I just came because I heard your call and did what I had to do.''

''That guy...'' Gordon took a cigarette and the lighter out, it was J'onn's way out. ''One day you will explain me why you hate smoke so much, Jones.''

''I only care about your lungs. Apparently more than you do.'' J'onn said, clearing the area. ''See you tomorrow for the report.''

\-----

Later that night, at the Batcave.

‘’So, this is our first victory, Batman.’’ J’onn mentioned, standing at arms crossed. 

‘’But there’s nothing to celebrate. We still don’t know why Bane wanted Penguin dead.’’ Bruce said, tired. His hair? A mess. Face Paint dissolving. 

‘’We will take the others down, as Dent said. Regarding Bane... Whatever was done to him, I suppose the trap was a double play. Cobblepot wanted either Bane arrested or Dent and Gordon dead. Or you. We will get on top of this.’’ J’onn placed a hand over his shoulder.

‘’I hope you are right.’’ Bruce pressed some keys.

‘’You hope?’’ J’onn asked.

Bruce smiled to himself, and didn’t reply to that, then J’onn got on his way out.

‘’You saved my cousin’s life tonight, I haven’t thank you…’’ Bruce said, to stop him. 

The Martian looked over at him.

‘’And you will never have to.’’

Then, he turned invisible and disappeared from the Bat’s radar.

‘’I won’t, but this city surely will, Manhunter.’’


	4. The Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gordon interrogates Bane, J'onn and Bruce try different ways to work together, as Kate is facing a new doubt for Maggie's worrying...

Gotham City Police Department, 9:00 a.m.

Interrogation room.

''Eduardo Dorrance, do you have anything to say in your defense?'' Jim Gordon, sat at the other side of the interrogation table, asked the Santaprisca Man. Jones and Dent were looking behind the glass.

''I don't play defense, Jimboy.'' Eduardo sentenced, laughing.

''Why are you laughing? You are going to spend the rest of your days in an Asylum, you know that?' Gordon crossed his arms, looking at Bane curiously.

''You really take yourself and your laws too seriously, Jimboy.'' Bane looked at him, not worried.

''Uhm...'' Gordon had to stop a moment, to take a breath. Harvey, seeing the scene, decided to intervene, but John stopped him, putting a hand on his chest.

''What were you doing at Penguin's Lounge? Why were you looking for him?'' Gordon found the strength to ask.

''What were you doing outside of the Iceberg Lounge, instead, Jim?'' 

''I'm the one who makes the questions here.'' Gordon could tell he was really broken, but still he had to get his replies.

''No, you are the one... who hasn't even understand what game we are playing.'' Bane said, leaving then a playful smirk.

''Okay, I've had enough.'' Gordon raised from the chair, and left the area. Dent went after him, and Jones took advantage of the moment to go inside the room, then closed the door and slowly stepped towards the table.

''What do you want? Que quieres?'' Bane asked John, but as he did ask him that, J'onn 's eyes turned red and Bane immediately felt a strong headache. ''Que estas haciendo, how dare yo-''

J'onn J'onzz turned invisible and walked away, going back to the position where Dent left him.

''What kind of sugar they put in my coffee?'' Maggie Sawyer thought at high voice as she was having her morning coffee, Jones looked around and saw the woman he had saved the night before and smiled widely at her.

Maggie returned the smile, without even knowing why, and then her cellphone rang, which caused her to go away. At the meantime, J'onn picked up his own and distanced himself from everyone to make a call.

''So, are you willing to help us now?'' Dent had come back in the room and so he tried to speak to Bane. ''Are you, freak?''

''Me? Freak? You should watch your own men...'' Bane said, holding his head. And then, he added nothing more.

Dent shook his head, then authorized Agent Montoya and Agent Ramirez to bring Bane to the pullman that was about to bring him to the Arkham Asylum.

''Fantastic.'' Gordon said, disconsolate.

''Head, I get Penguin. Tail, he runs away forever.'' Dent nervously flip his coin in the air, then stops it at mid-air. 

''So, what did it say?'' Gordon asked him, as John joined them in the room. 

Dent looked over at his two main colleagues, no words coming from his mouth. They understood. 

''I'll do it again.''

Tail.  
\---------------  
Eight hours later.

The Night had come over Gotham, apparently quiet, it wasn't raining luckily enough for Gordon. That allowed him to enjoy the wind of September nights, the peacefully view of the town from the roof of the GCPD station, and the sky full of stars, but also full of hope as the Bat-Signal had been enlightened and Gordon was staring directly at it. A female voice interrupted the flow of thoughts going through his head.

''Do you intend to see your wife again, Commissioner?'' Maggie Sawyer came in and asked him that, raising her head up then and looking at the Bat Signal herself.

''Yes, but tonight I have another date. That, if my better half decides to come.'' Gordon replied, then started to smoke a cigarette.

''How's going between you and Miss Kane? I've heard you had quite a night yesterday...''

''She's tough, I'm a GCPD officer, we'll be fine. Kate seems just a little bit shocked. While she was facing Bane, she said it was like something on her... turned on. And she wants to figure it out what it is.''

''Whatever it is, you'll have to stand with her and help her.'' Gordon said. 

''I will, as always.'' Maggie crossed his arms. ''Batman... he often doesn't come, lately.''

''Good observation. To be honest, I hope that's because he's busy.'' The thought made Gordon smile. Batman was the only one the criminals of Gotham really feared. 

\---------------

Sal Maroni and Oswald Cobblepot were now sat at the same table, flows of Italian Red Wine and Blonde models were sitting next to both, caressing and adulating them. A third figure could be spotted in the twilight preparing tea.

''You did a good job yesterday, stopping the importation of the Venom really drove him crazy. Also, let the news out so that the GCPD could know about it... even better. Impressive, Cobblepot.'' Maroni said, nodding.

''What can I say? I wasn't born yesterday...'' Penguin said, falsely humble.

''That's for sure.'' Maroni added, a comment Penguin didn't like as he understood Maroni was basically saying he's old.

''So, can you confirm that our resource is in position?'' Cobblepot asked the Mobster, who looked back at him, and almost laughed.

''Do I look like someone who lies?'' The Boss asked.

''I don't know... what do you say, Jervis?'' Penguin asked his new ''friend'', and after some seconds, Jervis brought the tea on the table, serving it to each one of the members of his Tea Party.

''Do you look like someone who lies? Do you, Sal? Is what you say to that blonde and young woman by your side same things you tell to your wife?'' Tetch just took off his hat and started sipping from his tea.

''Where did you find this clown?'' Maroni asked, enraged against Tetch.

''He found me.'' Penguin asked Maroni to calm down, and so The Boss did, arising from the chair and facing the door. 

''I'm not a clown, I'm a Mad Hatter. And I'm an announcer at The Iceberg Lounge.'' Jervis added.

''You look like a clown.'' Maroni insisted.

''Said the Circus.'' Cobblepot and Tetch replied at the same moment.

''Trying to look for a deal with you was the worst idea ever. I don't know how could I even thin-''

Sal didn't even got to end his discourse that he felt Penguin's knife, launched against his leg. After that, he started jumping out of the pain, naively getting near a window.

''What's up Sal?'' Penguin got closer and pulled his gun out, shooting at the glass of the window, breaking it in thousands of pieces, then took Sal for the jacket and made him face the view of Gotham.

''Please, don't do it. Please, don't... throw me.'' Sal was scared, really scared, especially now that The Penguin's eyes were on his own. After some moments, Penguin pulled him away from the danger. 

''I won't kill you, Sal. Life has been already hard on you.'' Penguin said, giving the back to Maroni, relieved.

''Thanks...'' Maroni said, gaining breath again, letting down his defense.

''Thanks...'' Penguin repeated, before proceeding to go back and kick Maroni out of the window, letting him fall from the 11th floor. ''Ahahahahah! This guy's crazy!... Thanks...'' Penguin commented as the thousands pieces of broken glass were reflecting his evil laughter.

No man could survive.

No man, except the one who met the Batman at half-way, who brought him to safety in an alley. 

''Why didn't you let me die? With all the lives I've taken, all the people I've hurt, I hope God forgives me.'' Sal Maroni, on his knees, asked the Vigilante. 

''You will have a fair trial, like everybody should.'' Batman was almost going away when he got asked by Sal.

''You are changing.'' The Boss told him, but Batman flew away from him. Good thing, he had his voice recorder.

\---------------

Lost in his thoughts, back at the Bat-cave, Bruce was falsely looking at the computer. He had Maroni's confession in his pen drive now, but still, as always something seemed to be bugging him.  
Maroni didn't only confirmed his crimes, he also told Bruce something that really hit him. He was changing his attitude, a little by a little. The violent crime fighter was making space to a more tactical genius, and Bruce wasn't even understanding why and how.  
Then he felt a hand kindly touching his shoulder, so he almost jumped in the air and looked behind himself.

''J'onn?...'' Bruce asked before turning to look at the man.

''It's me, Sir. Alfred. You seem to be mistaking me with another. Tonight was a harder one, though?''

''Like many others.'' Bruce took a deep breath, then sat again, and rested his head against the top of the chair, his eyes looking at the ceiling. 

''I sense that you are overthinking a lot, Master Bruce.'' 

''Do you think I'm changing, Alfred?'' Bruce asked directly to the Man he recognized as his father. 

''Evolution... that's part of the human life. Growing up, sure, also that is part of the human experience. Men changes same way their reality does. Things happen, and make men feel like they're powerless, and that... changes everything.'' Alfred said.

''I don't feel powerless. Not anymore. Bruce Wayne was powerless. But Bruce Wayne died the night his parents died.'' Bruce kept going.

''That was very clear, Master Bruce. For years, I've seen you seeking for a new Identity, and then Batman arrived. You swore to yourself, there wouldn't have been others Bruce Wayne. You clean up the street.''

''Not enough, apparently.'' Batman looked away. 

''Neither Batman can do all by himself. You had to fight all of these criminals, knowing more than half of the GCPD was against you and paid by the MOB. You were alone.''

Bruce looked at Alfred again, as the waiter kept going.

''This Martian Manhunter, he has changed the reality that surround you, that surround all of us, Master Bruce. And you are splendidly adapting to it.''

''He was right, again. He called me this morning, told me where and when they would have met, and I was able to intercept Maroni, even if not in the way I thought I would have had.'' Bruce shook his head.

''How do you think he did know?'' Alfred asked, out of curiosity.

''I'd say that he read Bane's mind. Bane was supposed to meet Maroni today since he was the one who was receiving the Venom lately, but he probably wanted to kill him and take definitely possession of the Harbor, exactly like Cobblepot.  
Penguin set Maroni up, convincing that he had Bane arrested and that he was his hero... only to do the job by himself, and become the Boss of both the gangs he was arming.  
Both Maroni and Bane's disciples. He basically wants to create an army.'' The Greatest Detective in the world deduced, nodding.

''Cobblepot wants to ruin Gotham.'' Alfred added. ''Batman and The Martian Manhunter can stop him.''

''People should know who J'onn is. What he is doing for this city.'' Bruce said, with passion.

''Gotham City will thank both of you once you will save it. Perhaps, I think J'onn J'onzz is becoming quite a big deal for you. I've never seen anyone having that kind of impact in your life since Rachel. For the first time in your life, you are seeing more colors than just black. You've met the green of your youth, the green of the hope this city has lost many time ago. He needed you to show up, and you need him to succeed. Probably, you need each other more than you actually think, on a more personal level. Making you smile, only someone from Mars could.''

A smirk appeared on Bruce's face as he avoided the last part of Alfred's words. ''You know, sometimes, sometimes I think that even saving Gotham wouldn't be enough.''

Bruce turned to look at his computer and inserted the pen drive, then proceeded to send the file to his contact at the GCPD, with only the object of the email to be added.

''Then you'll have to do something more, Master Bruce. You'll have to Heal Gotham.''

Bruce stopped for a second, then started to type.

''Mission: Healing Gotham.''

Send.


	5. Green as Hope, Black as Vengeance, Red as Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John Jones gets a new partner at the Department, while Kate and Maggie think of inviting Bruce over for a dinner, with a +1, and Kate discovers more about what is happening to her.

The morning alarm rang as always, precise, at 7 O'Clock. Maggie faked not hearing it, while Katherine was already with her eyes wide open, staying on her side. Nightmares, again. Always Nightmares. Since the very first night she faced Bane. She could still remember the punch loading in front of her. It arrived a few centimetres away from her face. She could still feel Bane's heavy breath near, every single night. And every single time, in her nightmare, she was rescued by the Bats. In her dreams, the bats guided her towards salvation. 

A mere illusion. Or probably not? 

''Maggie.''

''Hm?'' The GCPD officer murmured.

''Why me?'' Kate asked her.

''Why you what?'' 

''Why I got a second chance, but anybody saved my mother or my sister?'' Kate asked, almost crying. ''I'm the least deserving of it.''

Maggie, remembering Gordon's words hugged her from behind and kissed her neck. ''Probably, your destiny goes way beyond living.''

‘’Probably.’’ Kate murmured.

‘’You know I was thinking… I’ve been dating the cousin of Bruce Wayne for months now, almost a year, but I never got to know him.’’ 

‘’So what? You want a pat on the shoulder?’’ Kate replied to her lover, ironically.

‘’I want to know him. He’s one of the most important men in Gotham and he was staring at us the other night. Like… staring. He was probably checking me to see if I got the necessary to be his cousin’s girlfriend.’’

‘’What?’’

‘’What I said. He was there in company of a nice woman, I must admit.’’

‘’Bruce was at the Iceberg Lounge? How I didn’t see him?’’

‘’Probably you were too lost into my eyes, Miss Kane…’’ 

‘’Surely…’’ Kate turned to gaze into her deep eyes once again and then kissed her with passion.

‘’Easy, chica, easy…’’ Maggie stated, before Kate could give her a playful slap in her face. ‘’What? Why?’’

‘’Because you said Bruce’s company was hot.’’

‘’I said nice, not hot!’’

‘’Oh, well, that’s better then!’’ 

Kate and Maggie stared at each other for some seconds and then started to laugh happily together, with Maggie clinging to Kate.  
Kate stood there, looking at the ceiling and Maggie remained tight to her, at least for a little while before she had to go work too.

Three hours later, after Kate had found some deserved sleep, even though not enough, she decided to get up and left a message to Alfred officially inviting Bruce. She knew Alfred was the most secure way to get through Bruce, then she decided to go running looking for some inner peace, right before going to the synagogue. After all, it was Saturday, which meant Shabbat to Kate.

Running across the green spaces of the city with her hood always well raised, Kate ran past the GCPD Department, the same one where John Jones had just started his laptop, waiting for the programs to start working. His coffee and his biscuits were next to him, as he was eating them slowly as he could to avoid suspicion.

Once the system started to work he immediately noticed Bruce’s email and opened it, intrigued by the title. He smiled widely once he read the content, and then clicked on the audio so that everybody in the room could hear it.

‘’What the hell? This is magnificent!!’’ Gordon said, enthusiast.

Even Dent and Montoya came into the room, hearing the voice from the hallway.

‘’This is a miracle! A miracle! We got two Bosses in a week guys, hell of a job! Maroni is going inside. Donovan, prepare the cell.’’ Dent said.

John said nothing, he was just enjoying the moment. Montoya on the other hand looked at him in disbelief, and then approached Jones, to talk to him.

‘’I don’t know if you’re just the luckiest man in the world or you are just the best Officer this city has ever witnessed. I’ve been looking for evidence about Maroni and Falcone for months now...’’

‘’I’m just one who tries to do the right thing.’’

Montoya looked at him, as he was watching his laptop, and her hands reached the hips.

‘’Teach me how to succeed so many times then!’’ The young woman told him.

‘’...Okay.’’ John replied, nodding with his head.

‘’Oh, so this means we… you know…’’ Renee said, gesticulating a lot.

‘’We’ll be Partners, yes. If you’re still interested.’’

‘’Well… that was… quick?’’ Renee shook her head. 

‘’We don’t have time to lose, and with Dent and Gordon being partners… I can use one.’’ 

‘’Oh, I see, so I’m just the third wheel, uh?’’

‘’I never asked them to be my partners.’’

‘’Touche..’’

‘’Shall we go to put Maroni behind the bars then, partner?’’ John proposed, raising from his chair.

‘’Let’s go… partner. Don’t we have papers to fill or something like that…?’’ Renee said, as she was still in awe. She had been working for J’onn as an officer for weeks now, and she surely didn’t expect to get a promotion so quickly.

‘’Gordon, do you mind if I take Montoya with me?’’

‘’No.’’ The Main Detective just replied, without even looking at John directly.

‘’See?’’ John said to her, then both left the zone, destination Little Italy.

\----------------

In the Wayne Manor, one hour later, Bruce was having his sort of breakfast mixed to lunch due to the usual late awakening. Double life side effects. All served by the majestic Alfred.

‘’I don’t deserve you, Al.’’ 

‘’That’s for sure, Master Bruce.’’

‘’Did John left any message for me?’’ 

‘’Is this your first concern once awake?’’ Alfred smiled.

‘’You know, Alfred, this is about getting a Mafia Boss arrested.’’

Alfred just turned on the television where the news was just reporting the arrest of Sal Maroni, with the full explanation inside the article of the operation conducted by The GCPD under the supervision of the D.A. Harvey Dent and a ''not-so-mysterious'' help.

‘’Not so mysterious… uhm.’’ Bruce commented, but he recognized John’s appearance on TV.

‘’Looks like you’re becoming quite a celebrity.’’ Alfred commented.

‘’Every identity I take, I can’t just avoid it, apparently.’’

''Oh, and Master Bruce? Miss Kane invited you to her house tonight. She wants to have dinner to introduce her girlfriend to you. '' Alfred said, before leaving. ''I suggest you wear the suit. The civil one. And possibly, not going alone.''

''Want to come with me, Al?'' Bruce asked, ironically, while he was washing his face. 

''As much as I'd like to have a dinner with you and Kate, I had another solution in mind.''

''...No way.'' Bruce said, shaking his head.

‘’Oh, sure.’’

\------------------------------------

Whenever she exited the synagogue, Kate always felt at peace with herself. There was something in that place that just used to make her mood better anytime she entered in there and started to pray.  
The red dress she was wearing showed how much she was passionate about her beliefs. She used to look at the world with different eyes whenever she was returning home from the synagogue, as the proud smile on her lips was showing. 

It was until she heard the voice of an old woman coming from the other side of the street.

‘’HELP! HELP! THAT MAN STOLE MY BAG!’’

Seeing injustice around just didn’t sit well with Kate. The world seemed to stop for a moment to her, as she recalled the moment when she saw Bane acting like a God at the Lounge and felt that sensation again. The rage. The absolute will of helping who couldn’t defend themselves. The justice.  
Even in her dress, she just started to run fast as she could, grinding kilometres, until she accelerated even more overcoming her personal record of fastness and just jumped on the thief, hitting him with a knee and sending him against a trash can. Then she recollected the bag and brought it back to the old lady that accepted it, almost crying.

‘’Oh, thanks, thank you so much… I have my IDs here, all my money, the photos of my grandson…’’

‘’He’s very lucky to have such a loving grandma.’’ Kate said, holding the Old lady’s hands.

‘’My Luke is a special guy, he’s so smart. He will change the world, some day…’’ 

‘’I’m sure he will.’’ Kate nodded, then got away from her and just started walking towards home.

‘’I will remember your face every time I’ll see the color red.’’ The old lady told Kate, as she stopped for a second, smiling, before walking towards home again. 

New sensations conquered her. The satisfaction of saving someone, of helping others. Was that Batman proved every time? She felt like she was in paradise, and she just couldn’t wait to tell Maggie. And Bruce.  
\---------------

Wayne Manor, Bruce's room.

‘’Master Bruce?’’

‘’Alfred?’’ Bruce replied, while he was fixing his tie.

‘’Have you decided your company for tonight?’’ 

‘’Yes. Myself.’’ Bruce said.

‘’I hope you don’t mind, then…’’

Alfred got closer to the window and opened a bit, revealing John Jones waiting outside the Wayne Manor, just in front of Bruce’s Lamborghini. When Batman noticed, he looked bad at his butler’s direction at first.

‘’You told him…? Alfred, you!’’

‘’I’m sorry Master Bruce, but that man outside, he’s making you better and I won’t allow you to throw that away. You probably don’t remember the monster The Riddler almost turned you in, but I do.’’ Alfred said, very decided. 

‘’Fine, Alfred… ‘’ A convinced Bruce told his butler, before going out once he was ready.  
\---------------

‘’I hope you haven’t been waiting too long.’’ Bruce debuted the conversation like that.

‘’Don’t worry, I’m a very patient person. Had to become one.’’ J’onn admitted.

‘’Why?’’ Batman said, opening the car.

‘’Because otherwise I’d erase the entirety of the White Martians by myself.’’

‘’You told me they almost erased your race from existence. I’d understand.’’

‘’Vengeance is not the answer.’’

‘’For you.’’ Batman said, before starting the car.

‘’Want me to take a friendly appearance?’’ John said, while their body was slowly turning into Hino Rei’s one, Bruce looked directly at him, wavering.

‘’No, it won’t be needed.’’ Bruce said, after a quick thought. He knew that he could be himself with Kate, and also, from what he gathered Alfred presented John as a friend to Kate and Maggie. 

‘’You know, it’s strange…’’

‘’What?’’

‘’We’re together and it’s not for a mission or someone to arrest.’’

‘’The night is very young.’’ Bruce looked at John. 

Once they got to The Kane’s Manor, both exited the car in style. Well dressed,their ties just perfect and also of a matching red.

‘’Good, now they’ll think we copied each other.’’ John said, once he noticed they had the same color of tie.

‘’Each other? Oh no, I will say that you copied me. I have a reputation among stylists.’’

Then Bruce proceeded to knock on Kate's door, and as Maggie came to open she found Detective Jones side by side with Bruce Wayne. Her face was the depiction of surprise.

‘’...Detective?’’

‘’Officer?’’

John and Maggie both looked at each other, curious, then John and Bruce entered the house.

‘’You are the friend of Bruce Wayne that Alfred mentioned?’’

‘’It appears so.''

Kate welcomed both of them, still wearing the ‘’Kiss the cook’’ apron.

‘’Nice suggestion, I hope Agent Sawyer here follows it.’’ John asked Kate, innocently.

‘’Clearly.’’ Kate smiled ironically, then kissed Maggie.

‘’Yeah. Clearly.’’ John said, nodding . The only person he wanted to kiss, deep down, was Bruce himself and for a moment, as Kate and Maggie kissed, he envisioned that...

One hour and a half later, the four were still sat around the same table. 

Kate sat next to Maggie and Bruce next to John. Kate had cooked a nice dinner solely based on vegan aliments, in order to be sure to respect the Kasherut, the Jewish religious dietary laws. John and Bruce were really fine with it, and of course so was Maggie. 

‘’So, Kate, since when you became so much of a cook?’’ Bruce asked her cousin.

‘’I had to learn to cook my food. Being Jewish in this world ain’t easy, Bruce. And I don’t have Alfred. Speaking of… how’s him?’’ 

‘’He’s better than us both, probably.’’ 

‘’Better than you for sure.’’ Kate laughed after that, and so did all the others. ‘’So, Detective Jones, I’ve heard that you had some very busy days lately. You know, Maggie talks a lot.’’

‘’We do our best to keep Gotham safe. Everyone in the GCPD is fully convinced that Gotham not only can be saved, but also healed.’’ John said, eyeing Bruce, who smiled.

‘’How are you going to do that?’’ Kate asked again.

‘’First step, putting the criminals behind bars. Second step, inspiring people to not be afraid anymore of thugs like Bane or Carmine Falcone. People like Harvey Dent are doing a great job.’’

‘’Why? Has anyone ever been afraid of Bane?’’ Kate asked, fiercely.

‘’Well… me.’’ Maggie replied for J’onn. ‘’Speaking of Bane... What do you think about Batman, mister Wayne?’’

‘’A crazy man who wears a Bat Suit and goes around disrespecting the laws? That’s not the kind of justice Gotham needs.’’ Bruce commented, pouring some white wine.

‘’That crazy man, as you call him, saved my life.’’ Kate added, almost mad at her cousin.

‘’How do you know it was him?’’ Bruce asked her, keeping eating.

‘’Oh, c’mon Bruce, Batman is many things but he’s very recognizable for sure.’’ John intervened.

‘’I mean, who else got a sick ass cape?’’ Kate added.

‘’Nobody. And if you ask me… he’s the best at what he does. The Riddler, Sal Maroni, Bane. How many lives saved. He helped the Police Department so many times, and even Maggie can confirm how much our life would be difficult without him.’’ John stated, nodding. Bruce was hating him at that moment.

‘’But you also did quite a good job since you came here, Detective Jones. Batman’s efficiency and yours have spiked since you came to work for the GCPD.’’ Maggie took a napkin and then used it to take some measures to Jones’ face. ‘’What if… John Jones is the Dark Knight?’’ Maggie asked jokingly to him, The Batman was a myth to citizens but Police officers had a clear idea of his traits.

‘’I’m not Batman. How could I ever possibly explain that to Gordon?’’ Jones replied laughing.

‘’They say there was another hero with Batman last time, at the Lounge. The streets call him Manhunter. I think that’s another crazy man, but for some reason, I like him more than Batman.’’ Bruce said. ‘’Who knows, probably The Manhunter was the one who saved you Kate.’’

Kate looked down at Bruce, asking herself why he was hating on The Batman so much.

‘’Probably. Anyways, I’d just like to meet Batman or Manhunter, whoever saved my life… I just wish I could say thank you.’’ Kate added, looking both of them, especially Bruce, suspiciously.

‘’Well, looks like you might get a chance if you get over there.’’ Maggie pointed out at the sky, where the Bat Signal had just appeared. 

‘’Told you night was still young…’’ Bruce murmured to John, and Kate noticed.

‘’Which means… dinner is over for me.’’ Maggie stated at high voice.

‘’And me. My new partner at work is already looking for me.’’ John added to Maggie’s words as both clearly had to leave, since work was calling them. Wherever there was a crime, the GCPD and Batman were needed. And judging by Renee's two calls, probably him was more than needed.

‘’Bruce… will you stay a little while?’’ Kate asked his cousin, knowing the answer.

‘’I’m sorry Kate, but I just have a lot of papers to read for tomorrow’s reunion at the Wayne Enterprises.’’ Bruce said, getting his jacket on.

‘’Okay then, be careful… on the way back home.’’ Kate added, with a spicy tone at the end.

‘’I will.’’ Bruce replied before leaving.

\-------------

In less than three minutes, since the Bat Signal appeared, Kate found herself completely alone in her house.  
Her eyes raised, and looked through the window, staring at that signal. It was in her dreams every night.  
After staring at it too long, she felt her heart beating out of her chest, and the more she looked at it, the more she could see it changing, a little bit in shape, but most of all, in colour. From black, its core slowly became red and that red expanded till conquering all the bat.  
Kate shook her head and closed her eyes for some seconds. When she reopened them, the signal was entirely black again. 

The sense of justice was still pervading her, stronger than the first two times.

She still didn’t know exactly why she kept having those visions, but she knew a thing for sure, Red was her color.


	6. The flames of Gotham

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Human Flame has arrived to Gotham. Nobody knows why is there but he's about to provoke havoc in the town, leaving the heroes with many questions and only few answers....

The same night, 30 minutes later. 

The flames were intense, and seemed to be unstoppable, as the zone near to the ACE Chemicals Building was burning. The effort of every single force at disposition of Gotham City Fire Fighters was needed. The entire zone had been evacuated, with the people now taking to the streets, running away terrified. Police, Firefighters, Ambulance, everyone was there.  
There was only a man leaving the area almost undisturbed. He was wearing what a Firefighter would have later described to Vicki Vale's from Gotham Gazette as a flamethrowing suit.  
The brave police woman called Maggie Sawyer from the GCPD who just got there tried to confront him before he could leave and unleashed some gunshots against him. Of course, every single one bounced on the ground. Renee Montoya, with her usual courage, threw herself into the danger and pushed the other agent behind a guardrail, and she of course, with her, before the flames could burn them alive.  
The two GCPD agents got into a building to find a cover spot but the villain decided to follow them upstairs and started shooting fire from his hands at them as they were running to avoid getting caught.

''Who is this guy now?'' The Officer asked Renee.

''I don't know, new ones come out every freakin day...'' Renee replied, annoyed.

''I think I'll just go with Human Flame.'' 

''Yeah, sounds nice agent Sawyer, but now we have to survi-.''

Renee's words were interrupted by Human Flame's fire shots to the last door that separated them from the terrace, and the Flames started to increase in front of their eyes, with Human Flame behind them. They were literally trapped for death. 

''Do you have any last words? Not that it would change anything... since they'd burn with you.'' Human Flame stated, laughing.

''Why are you doing this? Who are you?'' Maggie asked him, trembling.

''Who am I? You told me. Why am I doing this?... Well, you aren't going to tell anybody, so... why not?  
I had a wife, a twelve years old boy, they were all my life. One night, we were coming back from the restaurant in Little Italy when this punk got out of nowhere and pointed a gun at my wife. So I put myself on the line, trying to defend my family. Guess what? He shot before I could reach to protect my wife. She died that night. A part of me died with her.'' The man stated, covered by a mask and a fireproof suit. 

''It's sad, I'm very sorry about your loss but this is not the answ-'' Maggie tried to help him but she was interrupted by the evil laughter of the man.

''Naaaah, I wasn't being serious. I just want to see the whole circus burn.'' Renee and Agent Sawyer took a step closer to keep distance from fire.

''You really are the jerk of the month, aren't you?'' Renee told him, before jumping on him trying to push him away. Unluckily, she met with an immovable object.

''Accept your fate, Officers.''

Outside of the building, right above the other one, the Batman was rescuing a kid in one of the nearest buildings. The Bat Vigilante just had saved already twenty men and women of Gotham, but there were more to be saved. The kid was on the fourth floor and he was at the second, right in the stairs. Nevertheless the heat caused by the flames, Batman threw his grapple to reach the fourth floor and got there some moments before the flames could get to the little kid. As the little boy was near to the window screaming for help and the flames were incoming to both sides, Bruce decided to call for back-ups, as he knew J'onn had come, and that he was down in the street. So he closed his eyes trying to reach him with his mind.

But he received no answer. 

''C'mon! Work!'' 

Nothing. Nothing at all.

''Help meeee! Please, Batman!!'' The kid screamed.

Bruce had no choice but to throw the grapple again against the window this time and keep the Kid in his hands, using his mantle to protect him as they were gliding on the street. Once they got to the ground, the kid saw his mother waiting for him and ran to her, Batman on the other side seemed to be very proved. Tired. On his knees. The family thanked him from afar and for probably one of the few times in his life, Batman was happy. Even if absolutely exhausted. He let himself go to the ground, gaining breath.

''J'onn... where are you...?''

''I suggest you to take a pause, Master Bruce.'' Alfred told Bruce, as he was following the situation, and ordered the Bat-Wing to reach him.

But Bruce was right. The Martian was there. Few meters away from him, just in front of the great fire. On his knees himself, in his John Jones persona. He was crying, defenseless, powerless, his eyes seemed completely lost. There was this thing he hadn't had time to mention Bruce about him and fire. As he closed his eyes, he heard both Bruce and Renee's calling for him and there was literally nothing he could do.  
His muscles were steady, his body couldn't move, and he was terrified. Fire remembered him of the Death of his race. The end of everything he loved, and was about to do it again. He couldn't help Renee, he couldn't help Bruce or anybody else.  
In that moment, he felt Gordon's hand on his right shoulder, and Dent's on the left. They were all there, powerless, as the Crime was showing them that there was no way to heal Gotham. Because the good guys can't win in Gotham. Not for good, at least. The three of them knew that was Penguin doing his thing via another one of his monsters. 

''This is too much. Too much.'' Gordon stated, as him and Dent gazed at each other, shaking their heads.

The flames were so high that Kate could see them from her apartment. She got that feeling again, she had to act. Maggie was there. And so Kate did. She quickly went downstairs and reached for her car, driving insanely quickly towards the Ace Chemicals building. Probably the craziest and shortest drive of her life. Katherine called Maggie in the meantime but unluckily she didn't got any answer. Her heart skipped some beats.

''Maggie! Maggie! Maggie where are you?'' She yelled in the car.

As she reached the zone and as she started to walk down the flaming streets, between the old women and young ladies crying, still trying to reach for Maggie she heard her ringtone coming from the palace to her right. Therefore she sped up, and as she saw the fire into the building, Kate took the craziest decision of her life and she approached a fire truck, faking to be a firefighter who needed a fireproof suit, which she wore in a minute before going in. At that moment, everything was possible.  
With a kick, she opened the door and got inside, running upstairs to reach for the threes that she heard talking. She ran through the flames, the heat, the voices, only to get there moments before it was too late. 

''Who was calling you?'' Human Flame asked Officer Sawyer before incinerating her phone.

''None of your business.'' Maggie replied, pointing her gun to him and shooting right in the face, opening the fire and hitting him through the mask, causing a spark in his visor. 

''Me.'' Kate joined the party hitting the Flamed Man with a powerful kick in his head as he turned to look at her. How did she do that with a fireproof suit was still a mystery. Human Flame, nevertheless he was hit and pinned against a wall, had the audacity to reply to fire with fire, so he literally tried to burn Kate's chest protected from the suit. The only thing he left was a mark on the suit, a symbol, similar to a Bat's one. After that, Kate knocked him out with a punch that caused the back of his head to meet against the wall. One moment away from the flames reaching for Maggie and Renee's heads she had saved both.

''Go! Go! Come with me!''

The three of them started running, as Maggie hadn't still recognized the voice of her girlfriend behind that suit, as the flames seemed to be running towards them. Renee, Kate and Maggie got outside of the building, as the fire fighters were now working on extinguishing the fire of that building. Maggie and Renee stopped right outside to get medical attention while the Woman in the firefighter's suit disappeared.

The Martian Manhunter instead had been defeated by his old enemies. Fear, fire, the feeling of absolute powerlessness. Once the flames had been extinguished also thanks to the help of The Batwing Alfred had sent Bruce, full of water that helped the helicopter to turn off the flames in the zone. The Human Flame just got out of the building, trying to escape but Detective Jones, now free of the fire problem ran to him, pissed off as he never had been in his Earth-life with anyone and recognizing the menace he threw some punches at the man's face, completely breaking the mask with his super fists and then hitting his already scarred face with many others, before handcuffing him. He broke his nose and his mouth was now in a bad shape but he deserved it. He deserved all of it.

''You are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.'' John told Human Flame, as Dent and Gordon joined to get the Criminal to the Central with them. He had lot of answers to give.  
The Martian shook his head, and took a deep breath, then things changed and his eyes lit up when he turned his head right and saw Renee getting medicated in the distance. That gave him an unexpected boost of energy and he ran towards her fast as he could. As he arrived, the doctors were now focusing on Maggie.  
John, clearly touched, suddenly hugged her partner, who reciprocated the hug with all the strength she had in her body.

''I thought I was about to loose you, Montoya. I thought I...'' John said, in deep emotion.

''I would have really been the worst partner ever if I'd leave you after just a couple of days....'' Montoya replied, somehow keeping her cool and still being ironic, even with a quivering voice.

''Any man would be proud of having you as his Partner, Renee.'' John told her, gently caressing his friend's back.

''You came...'' Renee told him.

''Late. Too late.'' John cried out.

''The most important thing is that you are here now.'' Renee told him, nodding and holding his hand as they weren't hugging anymore. 

''I heard your calls... I heard your voice inside that building.'' 

''You wrecked the guy, John, I saw you from here. I never saw you like that.''

''He had endangered you.'' 

''Nobody ever did something like this for me.'' Renee said, smiling to her friend. John nodded back and then kissed her hand, before leaving her to the medical attention she deserved. ''I have to go now, see you tomorrow, partner.'' John kissed Renee's head after those words, letting her go.

''How are you Mags?'' John asked the other Officer, hugging her afterwards. One hour before they were having dinner. The way things on Earth used to change in so little time.

''Good, but I guess I got to go now. They will keep medicating us at the Gotham General as far I understood. I can't reach for Kate because that criminal destroyed my phone.'' Maggie mentioned.

''I'll tell Kate, then.'' John said. Maggie nodded. 

''I don't know who it was... the Devil, the Manhunter we were talking about at that dinner, or probably Batman. But someone saved us, John.'' Maggie told him at last.

Those words resonated with John as he knew that it was neither his or Bruce's merit, as the ambulance with Maggie and Renee got away, John raised his head up to the sky, and met Batman's face, staring at him from the above. For the first time since they started seeing each other, there was no respect for the Martian into the Billionaire's eyes. Batman couldn't understand at that moment. For that reason, he shook his head to the Martian and then disappeared into the night. 

John looked around him as the flames were being all extinguished and then took a deep breath. It had been a long night.  
He had too many things to process. Too many questions to be answered.  
Who saved Renee and Maggie? Why was the Human Flame's mind absolutely empty once he tried to read it to learn his reasons?  
And in the days after that, he should have found a way to explain to Bruce what had happened there and why he didn't reply. So he took his martian form when nobody could see him and flew back to his apartment, after having sent the message to Kate regarding Maggie's location. Somehow, he still remembered the number he read on Bruce's phone. Once on his favorite couch, with his comfort biscuits under his teeth and his favorite tv show on, he finally started to find some inner peace again.

There was still life, for him and his beloved ones. There was still hope, at the end. And despite everything, he could not see that as nothing that wasn't an absolute win. At least for that night.

Kate, on the other hand, kept running even after they were all saved and as soon as she stopped to gain breath, she stopped by the mirror of a car, and she saw herself in that suit.  
That flaming Bat Symbol in her chest. Everything seemed so clear, for the first time in weeks.  
What did she just do? What had she just become? All of her Questions now had an answer.

Among the flames of Gotham, Batwoman was officially born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Human Flame, the historical Martian Manhunter's foe, probably created the first ever rupture between J'onn and Bruce.  
> Will the Manhunter make it up to the Dark Knight?  
> Will Renee, him and Maggie discover anytime soon who really was the brave bat branded firefighter who saved them?  
> 'Was the Human Flame acting for pleasure or he was there for a reason like GCPD's Detectives think?  
> Chapter seven will bring us back in time to Mars and West Point to find some of the answers to these questions... and something more.


	7. Illusion or Reality?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new mysterious organization makes his appearance, showing their best assets, while Penguin takes a pause, at least for a day. Kate has an incredible offer of work.

D.E.O. Headquarters, two days later.

The ''We have the watch'' written in the wall with an intense red mirrored the goal of the Department Of Extranormal Operations, having the world under their watch. For protection, they said.  
For control, someone else might think, probably not being too far from the truth.  
Sat besides his desk, with his sunglasses on, Mr. Bones was checking the new videos he received from Gotham after what the journals reported as ''The Great Fire''. Many heroic acts were made, The Batman's actions surely stole his eyes but those weren't his main focus. He was looking for something... different, and let the videos go on, until he spotted his target.

''The kid in Sao Paulo, the cat in Venice, The business man in China, a taxi driver in The Philippines, the female writer in Venezuela... the Detective in Gotham.  
How many lives do you live, Mr. J'onzz? And why you don't want to die in any?''

Bones kept looking the screen until he noticed something new. Someone, actually. His skeleton finger stopped and zoomed to a woman getting in a fireproof suit. Other hidden cameras in the building where she got in, showed him the way she defeated Human Flame. 

''Interesting. Agent Chase!'' 

''Yes, sir?'' The long haired blonde DEO Agent reached for her boss. 

''Who is this woman?'' As the video went on, the camera of a store in front of the car she stopped by to see herself in a mirror captured Kate and her flaming bat on the chest.

''I don't know, Batwoman. Probably?'' Chase provoked.

''Batwoman... well, I guess that's not his suit, though...'' Bones looked at the video, and when at some point Kate removed the helmet, he recognized her. ''I know that woman. She was in Westpoint years ago.''

''What do we do with her?'' Chase asked him.

''Killing the Manhunter was Human Flame's job, but he failed. If Hell didn't kill the Martian...'' Bones showed the zoom on the flaming bat to Chase. ''The Bat will.''

Bones smiled, Chase way less but she had her orders. ''How do we convince Kate Kane to join us?''

''We'll give her what she wants. A suit, a reason, the possibility of being a Soldier.''

''For the DEO?'' Chase asked.

''For the World, Agent Chase.''

\-------------------------------------------------

The GCPD Main Detectives were having their usual lunch at the Café Triste. Harvey Dent had his arm on the long-couch, that extended even beyond Gordon's back, the new entry Renee Montoya was of course sat next to her partner John Jones. The four of them were sharing a lasagna, that seemed to be the specialty of the house.

''This is literally the worst Lasagna of my life.'' Gordon sentenced, while keeping eating eagerly.

''Yeah, it shows.'' Dent commented.

''However, my sources say The Penguin is moving some human trafficking down the docks. Saturday was the latest shipment, and now...'' Dent started to say.

''Wait, wait, are you telling me that The Penguin trafficked humans while the city was burning?'' Gordon asked Dent.

''Talk about a diversion...'' Renee added.

''How he does it? How can he be ten steps ahead? I mean, we know this thing, when we'll get there... he'll get away, as always.'' Gordon admitted, sadly.

''Probably we're looking at it at the wrong perspective.'' Jones debuted in the conversation.

''What do you mean?'' Dent and Gordon asked the same moment.

''Yes! I mean... I probably understood.'' Renee said. ''Yes, what if Penguin himself is your source?'' 

''I'm sorry?'' Dent laughed.

''What if Penguin himself gives away the fake news to a cop who is compromised and this cop tells your source?''

''That would explain many things, but it's not like I haven't thought about it...'' Gordon said.

''But have you investigated it?'' Renee asked him. ''Like, really investigated?''

''Whatever she said.'' Jones said.

''I will.'' Gordon replied, and they kept eating until the end of their meeting.

\-----------------------------------

Late night.

DEO Headquarters.

Once again, the ‘’We have the Watch’’ paint on the wall makes his appearance. This time, Cameron Chase and Director Bones are speaking to someone who proudly stands at the other side of the table.

‘’Miss Kane, this is not a choice. You have to help us. This monster is terrorizing Gotham, freeing criminals around.’’ Bones tried to convince Kate.

‘’The Martian Manhunter saved my life.’’

‘’He freed Bane. He brought Bane there, thanks to his telepathic powers. As you can see.’’

Bones proceeded to show Kate a footage of J’onn J’onzz in another form, being present at one of Bane’s discourse to his fellows and then taking the martian form while going away, before taking John Jones’ form again. Kate was shocked. 

‘’Saving you after creating the problem was probably part of a bigger plan. He’s a liar, a traitor. He hides between us, but he’s not one of us. He might be your neighbor, a friend, but he’s not. Don’t trust the Martian, Katherine. Trust the D-E-O.’’

Bones snapped his fingers and Cameron Chase went to another room, only to bring Kate a gift.  
Katherine, still little doubting, unpacked it and once she saw the content, her eyes started to glow.

‘’This suit is… mine?’’ 

‘’Bulletproof, Fireproof, Light. I’ve heard you like the mix of red and black…’’ Bones smiled.

‘’I love it.’’

‘’It’s all yours, if you accept.’’

‘’I do.’’ Kate raised her eyes. She genuinely thought that she had to save her cousin from the threat that was upon him, even if she didn’t trust wholeheartedly Bones.

\------------------------

Bruce was working at his batarangs, in the Batcave, lost in his many thoughts as always. Suddenly, he stopped, and the water in his glass started to move. A red light filled the monitor standing in front of him.  
J’onn had come in his true form, and he didn’t ask permission, a thing that Bruce noticed and didn’t like.

‘’What do you want?’’ Bruce asked him, without even looking at the Martian.

J’onn didn’t reply, he just stood there, looking at Bruce’s profile. He stared for at least five long seconds, before approaching two fingers to Bruce’s head, and showing him the way Fire destroyed the Martian Civilization. All the screams, all the pain. His daughter and him being separated, same as him and his wife. 

‘’This fire burns inside me till now.’’ J’onn told Bruce.

‘’Why did you say nothing? It’s a big problem, J’onn. Fire is easy to find, I have to preven-’’

‘’No, you don’t. I can defend myself.’’

‘’Can you?’’

‘’Yes.’’ J’onn closed the discourse, then approached him. ‘’You can’t save everyone, you can’t know everything.’’ The Martian caressed the vigilante’s eye make up on his face with his delicate touch.

‘’I have to try.’’ Batman replied, finally looking up at him.

‘’This way, you are in for big delusions, Bruce.’’ J’onn said, then sat on the Bat’s lap. Surprisingly, he weighed next to nothing. Probably one of his abilities, Bruce thought.

‘’Sometimes an illusion is all a man has.’’ Bruce said, as his lips got near to the Martian’s ones. The attraction was in the air, and after having discovered J’onn’s weakness, he felt like he really knew him. At the same time, he had shown J’onn the moment his parents died in front of his eyes when he was just a little boy.  
They both suffered too much than a single being could endure, and there was nobody in the world that could feel the other so understood, so less-alone, at least for a while.

‘’But I’m not an illusion. You have more than that.’’ J’onn took Bruce’s face in his hands and finally his lips kissed Bruce’s own slowly, with passion, but enjoying every single moment of it. The Emerald Giant’s hands got on the bat-belt and removed it, the same thing was done to the Bat’s pants, then J’onn offered him his hand, and Bruce accepted. As he arose from the chair, the pants went down, and he pushed J’onn backwards causing him to finish against the ground. 

Bruce was now standing above the Martian, as he removed even the armor, and while Gotham seemed to be a lost cause in that moment, the Bat and The Manhunter found new ways of Healing - at least - themselves.


	8. What promises are worth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> J'onn and Bruce face the aftermath of their first night together, Katherine comes back to Gotham with a new mission, but she's not the only one...

It had been the best night he ever had since he landed on Earth. The heat of the action hadn't burn him inside out, and his hand resting over Bruce Wayne's chest reminded him that life wasn't so bad, after all. At the heart of the night, J'onn raised a little bit, leaning on the wall right above the bed.  
Thanks to his superpowers, a block notes and a pencil flew towards the Martian. Oh, telekinesis, what a gift. J'onn looked down at Bruce sleeping next to him, and the pencil started to draw a portrait of the sleeping Wayne. The Martian was very meticulous when drawing, his perfect mind helped him better pitching the face, the details of Bruce's muscled shoulder and back, of course covered by the linen covers. Fine as Bruce was, perfect as he was. Once the Martian completed his draw, the Billionaire opened his eyes. 

''When did you wake up?' J'onn asked him.

''Ten minutes ago.'' Bruce replied, smiling. 

''And you said nothing?'' J'onn protested.

''Didn't want to interrupt the Artist...'' Bruce stated, and J'onn handed him the draw. 

''I hope you like it.''

''It's amazing. Everything about tonight was.'' Bruce said, then raised up from the bed.

''Where are you going?'' J'onn asked him.

''You know where.'' 

''Guess there's no way to stop you.'' As Bruce raised from the bed, J'onn noticed all the bruises, the wounds left on his back. The mark of the crime-fighting life. 

''No, there is not.'' Bruce sentenced, serious but still smiling. A smile J'onn could see towards the window's reflection of Bruce's face.

''It's not the first time I live in Gotham.'' The Martian said, capturing Bruce's attention. ''I used to work here. To serve, as a Vigilante.''

''You what?''

''Many years ago, under the name of Bloodwynd. I was part of the first team defending Gotham, called the Justice Experience.''

''How did I not know about that?'' Bruce asked him.

''There are many things about the story of this city that are a mystery to many people, including you, Batman.''

''What happened to your friends? And why are you telling this to me now?''

''They've been killed. All of them. I retired for years after the night where I lost the last one of my friends, my dearest one, Acro-Bat, or like he was known in his civil alias Walter Chase.''

''Who killed him?''

''He was called Doctor Trapp.''

''You got him?''

J'onn said nothing but shook his head, slowly. Bruce looked down at him with an understanding look. 

''Time defeated him. Because time is unbeatable, for everyone. Me, AcroBat, Trapp and even you. Batman has no limits, but you do Bruce. Acro Bat didn't understand that he had nothing to prove and kept going against time and the signal of his body. I hope you do, before it's too late.''

''I have a lead on Penguin. He's going in tonight. I'm about to get my job done tonight.'' Bruce stared at him intensely, then wore a shirt and walked out of the bedroom.

''No. That's Gordon's job. That's MY job, not yours. You have nothing to prove to anybody, Bruce.'' J'onn yelled, but no one was disposable to hear anymore. The Manhunter replaced Jones afterwards. He was ready to join The Batman into the good fight.

\--------------------

Two nights later.

Her name was Katherine Rebecca Kane, and she had come back to Gotham with urgency with only one goal: cancel The Impostor who was probably about to ruin her cousin and with him, what was left of her family. 

The black mantle was covering the back of the suit, completely black except for the red Bat logo on the front and the inserts on the curves. Kate was towering the City from the Gotham's clock, as her radio signal intercepted a woman in danger in one of the near alley to her position. She quickly got there, and looked down at the three men trying to undress the young woman with the force. She had her orders. Stay there and wait for The Batman and Manhunter to intervene, then isolate the Manhunter and end him. 

''I can't stay here and do nothing.'' Kate's hand got to her ear, as she communicated with Bones from the other side.

''You do what I tell you or your beloved Maggie is the next I'm going after. Clear?!?'' Bones yelled into her ears, instilling fear into her, for a moment.

Batwoman stood still, petrified because of the menaces coming from the Head of the DEO, with the doubt. As one of the three man slapped the young woman, and made her cry, the conflict inside of Kate was growing. 

Her shaking hands automatically got to her red batarangs. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath before launching three batarangs against the wall, right in front of the Criminals. A missed shot, apparently.  
Once the men saw the batarangs in the wall however, they suddenly left the girl and ran away scared. They thought HE was there, and they perfectly knew what happened to the thugs who finished under Batman's hands. There were many stories going on in the streets about the guys who got destroyed by Batman. Many of them didn't even comeback to walk again as they used to.  
Kate didn't want to hit them physically, but used the strongest weapon known to mankind: Fear.  
After twenty seconds, the Batman actually made it there, as he met the young woman in the alley and asked her how she was feeling. 

''Thank you Batman, you saved me!'' 

''To be honest, I...'' Batman stopped for a moment. Thinking that J'onn probably could have intervened before him, as sometimes happened. Then noticed the red Batarangs thrown at the wall, and shivers ran down his spine. He took one of them to study it. Someone was faking to be him, and that was unacceptable. He didn't want to inspire people like that, he wanted them to be safe.

''What happened?!?'' Bones asked to Kate.

''The Batman scared them off.'' Katherine said.

''So what? Isolate the Manhunter.'' Bones repeated the orders.

As they were communicating, the Emerald Giant just arrived in the zone, right next to The Caped Crusader, checking the Batarang with him.

''He's not with him.'' Kate replied, remaining well above the two, and clearly faking it once she saw Batman and Martian Manhunter cooperating. She'd been knowing for a while that Bruce was Batman, even if she never told him, seeing him and The Manhunter working together helped her to understand that J'onn wasn't an actual threat for Gotham. 

''Okay, received. Then... new mission, Bring me The Batman.'' Kate froze once she heard the new orders. ''The Batman alive before the sun shines or Maggie dies.''

Kate almost started to cry. What could she do? She was in fact outnumbered, and The Alien seemed to have special powers she didn't know. Luckily for her, however, after a long discourse, the Alien flew away leaving The Batman alone. The Caped Crusader tried to run away, launching his bat-grappling hook but while he was flying, the Red Bat planed on him like The Night and hit him with a kick right in the stomach that caused the Dark Knight to crash against the garbage of an alley. Batwoman got closer at him, still crying under the mask. 

''I'm sorry...'' Kate said, before preparing a punch that she was ready to throw at her own cousin. The most important organization in the US was threatening her, and she knew how many weapons they had, hidden or not. The DEO was a true force of the nature. Same as her, with the new suit. She hit Batman repeatedly on the face with four punches, but before she could knock him out with the fifth, The Vengeance himself stopped Kate's arm with his own, and pushed her away. The Batman launched his bat grappling to the wall above Kate, and once he reached for the center of it, he let himself drop on her, hitting her with a kick over the head that Batwoman deflected, but still accused. Bruce however, with a great acrobatic move stood in his feet and ran against Kate, bringing her against the same trash he had been before. 

''Who are you?'' Bruce asked, standing above the Woman. 

''You. Just better.'' Batwoman replied, her feet got to The Batman's legs and started to press, so that she was in power of pushing him away, and then used the electric taser on him, putting an end to the fight and sending Batman to sleep.

Kate stood there for seconds, gaining breath. Now she only had to bring him to The DEO, but her heart felt really heavy at the thought. She knew her cousin was under that mask. Her hands got to Bruce's chest, as tears started to flood out of her eyes. She took the earpiece out and destroyed it so that Bones couldn't hear her.

''Bruce, I'm so sorry, please forgive me... Please... I will free you, I promise. I just can't let her die. I swear.'' 

Batwoman knelt before her cousin for a moment, before taking him on her shoulder, showing an impressive strength. Not even thirty seconds later, a DEO's van arrived there and took The Batman.

''You are free to go.'' The DEO agent told her. 

''Fuck you.'' Kate replied, then her phone rang. She saw Maggie's name appearing but slide the red button, refusing the call. Then quickly disappeared into the night. She definitely needed to think about those damned 24 hours of her life.

''Agent Chase, it's your turn.'' Bones said to the other Agent.

''Copy that.'' Chase replied, then got out of another Van that was running in Gotham and got to the Gotham City's East End's bank.  
\--------------------------------------------

Ten minutes later.

J'onn had just stopped the usual bank robbing that every night used to happen in one of the principal banks of the city. Like, every single night. The two criminals, father and son, were already been locked and arrested and The Manhunter was ready to fly away, when a voice from behind called his attention.

''I'm stuck inside! Please help!'' A young, blonde woman, was yelling from inside the bank. How it did occur that he didn't saw her before? J'onn flew immediately inside of the Bank and started to look for the voice he heard. 

''Where are you?'' The Martian asked. 

''This way.'' Once the woman yelled, J'onn followed the voice's trajectory and quickly got into the office... but unluckily for him, it was all a trap. The entire room had been filled in with burnt rubber, candles and various forms of fire, which weakened him.  
The Martian tried to fight back but he eventually had to give up and he found himself in his knees. A gun pointed to the back of his head, afterwards.

''You are not a man. You are not invincibile. You are not fully an alien anymore. You are nothing.'' That was the same voice he heard before. J'onn turned to look at the middle aged woman and faced the gun, but he also saw the woman's last name on her jacket. Chase. Her face, the features, and the overall expression she had. Everything of her, reminded him of his former best friend, the one he did loose many years before. 

''What did Bones promised you?'' J'onn asked her.

''He's my boss. He's been hunting you for years, and now, I'm going to bring him to you.'' Cameron said, as the fire was reflecting in her eyes.

''Walter was the best man I knew until that moment.'' J'onn said, trying to get into Cameron's head, provoking the opposite effect as she lost his cool.

''How dare you nominate my father? You think we don't know about your abilities of reading minds?'' Cameron prepared the shot. 

''Chess. He loved playing chess. White wine was his favorite. And he loved his daughter, she was the most important thing for him. Walter wanted to guarantee her a bright future, a different Gotham. I bonded with him immediately. In the past, I wanted the world to be a better place for my girls too. But life... life always take its own direction, and War destroys everything in the between. I lost my girl and my world the same way your father lost his life and the possibility of seeing you grow.''

''How do you... know.... all of this?'' Cameron asked him, turning off the communications with Bones. Her eyes dropping some tears. She didn't know what her Father liked or not since she had never met him.

''It's a long story, but I can't tell you that story if you shoot me now.'' J'onn raised his hands, giving up. Cameron started to tremble, she was barely five years old when she lost her father. That loss was the reason of every choice of her life. She wanted to know, she HAD to know.

''I won't, but I need you to come with me at the DEO, at least.'' Cameron lowered the gun, knowing The Manhunter still couldn't do nothing because of the Fire around him. 

''Bones will kill me on sight, you wouldn't get the story either way. Let me go, Cameron. Say that I entered in your mind before you could trap me. You know what's the right thing to do, deep down.''

Cameron turned her back and after some seconds of thought, she activated the communications again.

''Chase!! Chase what happened?''

''The Manhunter, sir... it... it attacked my mind and turned off the communications. I'm so sorry, I couldn't stop him, he was too fast...'' Cameron said, closing her punch for the rage.

''....Fuck. Then I'll go with Plan C.'' Bones said before cutting the communications for good. ''Agent Paulson, call my contact in Gotham, please.''

''You sure you want to call him, Sir?'' 

''Yes, I am.''

''What's plan C? Boss? BOSS?'' Cameron, in the meantime, turned to look at The Martian Manhunter, afraid. 

''What's that madman planning?'' J'onn asked her.

''I don't know, but I'm afraid that's something big.'' 

\-----------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, at the Arkham Asylum, a doctor was walking near the cells of the patients, looking them with air of superiority. 

''Shut up, Deadshot. You don't deserve anything.'' 

''Sooner or later I'm getting out of here, Man, and when I will I'm going to rip away that smile from your ugly face. You heard me?'' 

''It's the fifth time this month that you threaten me. You really want to stay here all of your life, don't you?''

The Doctor smiled, and then laughed of the Man inside the cell but as soon as he was talking, the siren rang. The anti-fire system started to work. It started to rain over his head, and all the cells around him opened. As he turned to look at every criminal getting out of their cell, a knee right on his stomach surprised him, followed by a series of aggressive punches to his face that broke his nose and lips, and so the Doctor found himself knelt in front of Floyd Lawton, aka Deadshot.

''No, I don't. But you will.'' Deadshot closed the Doctor behind the bars. ''You are lucky that I only kill when I'm paid for it, and nobody paid me for killing you. You are really worth nothing.'' Floyd Lawton told the Doctor, then started to run away, as the others were running towards the doors of the Asylum, Floyd broke a window and jumped into the sea, towards liberty. Towards his daughter. He was the only one to choose that way.

Even Bane's cell opened. Actually, his cell just opened first, in fact Bane was already waiting for all the other inmates in the hall. The bodies of the knocked out doctors and men of security were right under his feet.

''Amigos. Since the first day I got to this cell with you all, I told you that the Judgement Day was about to come. What I didn't told you was that WE would have been the judges. Judges of this City and its behavior. From tonight on, we reprise the power. The Batman is out of game. Let's go doing what we do best, from tonight on, we have no limits. Follow me to freedom and together we will destroy the system in order to establish a new one. Our victory will be the definitive loss of the so called Democracy. Only Anarky ensures justice. Only Anarky ensures order.''

Bane raised his arm up to the sky and the crowd started to cheer. Then, the doors of the Arkham Asylum opened before them, and another man entered into the room. That man got near Bane and as he walked in, the criminals stopped to cheer immediately.

''What the hell is Harvey Dent doing here?'' A voice from behind said. Other joined him. ''He's one of them. We should kill him.''

After many in the crowd asked that, Harvey Dent removed half of his face, revealing that it was in fact an accurate mask, covering his true nature and finally revealed his TRUE face. Or better, his true Two-Face. Everybody lost words in front of that sight, while the deep down wounded eyes of the ex-Harvey Dent were off, full of rage, willing to get... vengeance.

Montoya was right. She'd always been. Gotham's Police Department had a spy, but nobody in the GCPD could even remotely think that the spy was The District Attorney himself.

Every coin had two sides, every man had his secrets.

Harvey Dent had everything, and even more.

And Gotham was about to know his story.


	9. Hold my hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two Face reveals his story to Gotham while J'onn helps Kate through the blackest night...

One and half a year before.

Gotham's court of law.

The Detective of Gotham Harvey Dent was interrogating the notorious criminal Garfield Lynns, also known as the supervillain Firefly. The man behind the desk didn't seem too much intimidated by the attorney's accusations, and he had a strange smile on his face. Dent, always very bright however, kept his cool and kept the process going with the maximum of professionality.

''What was the reason, Mister Lynns? Would you like to share with us why you felt the need of burn the entire Station 17 of the Gotham's Firefighters? Do you understand the disservice you were doing to the city?''

''What is the reason for not doing it, Mister Dent? Those men stands besides me and my mission. Incinerate Gotham ''

''What else can I add, your honor?'' Harvey stretched his arms and shook his head, looking at the criminal with a challenge look, as he got closer to him. 'Over. My. Dead. Body.''

The gavel's sounded three times, as Lynns winked at Dent, arrogant as always, then mimed with the mouth that Harvey gave him a good Idea, as the judge officially declared Lynns as convicted. 

Dent turned his back at the criminal as he was leaving the court room, happy as it gets, when he heard a voice behind him.

''This is far from being over, Dent. I swear.'' 

Harvey stopped for a second, undecided if replying, while the agents were taking Firefly back to Arkham. ''Enjoy the Asylum, Mr. Lynss.''

The mighty attorney left the area after that conversation and took a deep breath. He wasn't afraid of Gotham Criminals and that was his greatest strength but also his greatest weakness.  
He was right that most of Gotham criminals aren't really a menace, but among one hundred of them, there was at least one who was different.  
Six months later, vengeance stroke strong against the attorney. 

One night, as Dent was lying on his bed, and was looking at the ceiling, thinking about his own problems, his hand was caressing his beautiful wife, Gilda, who was peacefully sleeping into his arms. She was his entire world, the only light in the darkness of that damned city. Or at least, until that moment, since an enormous light appeared in front of his window. And not a normal light. The window opened, and the flames started to surround the room, as Dent immediately woke up his wife, but unluckily for him, she managed to wake up only when the flames were too near to her body, and started to burn her alive, in front of her husband's eyes.  
The eyes of Two Face widened, as he started to cry, with a good reflex, he managed to get out of the window in time before the fire could reach him, but as he jumped outside of the window he found Firefly standing besides him.  
It really was far from being over. The supervillain pressed his foot against Dent's head, then spilled almost an entire petrol bottle on the DA's face.  
The matchstick followed.

His wife was gone.  
His life as he knew it... gone.  
From the day later, when he woke up in the hospital, he discovered that even half of his face was gone for good. Burnt by the flames of Gotham.  
He asked the hospital to go private about it and then thanks to the right call, he managed to get another half of face to cover the real ones, but the flames, the flames never stopped to burn inside his heart. 

Present day, Arkham. 

''Through fire, we are reborn. When I first got this new face, I repudiated it. But now I see that it made me a better man. More efficient, more sincere. I wore a mask for years only to come at this very specific day. The day we took Batman out of the game, the day we take Gotham back. Batman promised me to save this city from you all, I think this city needs to be saved from liars like him. He was just looking for someone who might attract the ''criminals'' hate while he could arrest each and every single one of you. This is the kind of man the Bat is.''

Dent admitted, then turned his look back at the camera that was besides him, finally looking directly at Gotham, as his message was being recorded and transmitted live in every television from Gotham to Bludhaven. 

''The camera was on, the villains' uprising of Arkham was now streaming in every house of the city. Harvey got in front of the camera, with his two-face finally revealed. 

The view shocked the entire GCPD, who could never guess that Penguin’s insider in the GCPD was the District Attorney himself. Gordon’s cigarette fell off his mouth, neither Montoya could believe her eyes despite her being the one understanding there was a spy in the GCPD. Jones was a pillar of salt. How did Dent manage to escape his mind-powers? They all stayed silent, as Harvey started to talk. 

‘’Gilda.

The one you couldn’t save. 

The woman of my life. 

She was only thirty five years old, Batman. She had a life to live. 

Gilda had a husband, who loved her with all of his heart and you… you that swore to protect us all… you weren’t there. 

I’m not asking you where you were that night, Batman, I don’t care. 

It’s too late for excuses. Too late for everything. 

We were projecting to have children, Batman... 

But we won’t now, because of your incompetence. 

Look at me. Look. at. Me. 

Do you see my face, Batman? How do you feel? 

This is what your failure and your reckless, crazy crusade costs to all of us, and I’m tired of you. 

This ends tonight. 

Every single criminal YOU brought to justice… free.

Every single one.

You want this city back? Come - get - it. 

I will be at the top of Wayne Plaza, at midnight. 

Come alone and we will end this. I promise, it won’t be long. 

Just me…. And you…. Batman.’’

\--------------------------

GCPD. 

James Gordon's cigarette literally fell from his mouth. His eyes were widen, he couldn't believe his eyes and his ears. How come he didn't understood a thing over all those years working alongside him? Worse than him there was only Detective John Jones, who could have known easily if only he didn't have all of those moral codes about using his psychic powers over humans. Hand on his face, he was still trying to understand.  
Renee Montoya, standing next to his partner was shook as they all were, considering the day before them four were all sat at the same table, talking about a possible spy of Gordon. She could never imagine how right she was.  
Gordon approached her and J'onn and said nothing, but went to the top of the building, lighting the Bat Signal, looking for a hope. Renee looked over at John, she'd never saw him in difficult like that. Adding to that, Dent was clearly bluffing, given the fact he knew that Batman wasn't available. A sure win for him.

''W... what do we do, now?'' Renee asked John.

''‘’Renee, I know we’re supposed to be together in this, but given the amount of challenges we are going to face I think it’s probably smarter to divide ourselves. You will guide the greatest squad of our men that the city has ever seen, alongside the S.W.A.T. while me and Gordon will find a way to solve the Dent’s problem.’’

‘’Isn’t Dent a Batman’s problem?’’ Renee asked.

‘’Well, technically…’’ Jones hesitated.

‘’Wait, you said you and Gordon… Batman and Gordon usually works together… You are Batman! Am I right?’’ Renee looked at him, astonished.

‘’No, I’m not Batman. I’m just a man who wants to save this city, exactly like you.’’ Jones caressed her shoulder.

‘’Yeah, you’re right, it’s just that… It would have been cool you know to be partner of a superhero - kinda.’’ Renee nodded.

‘’Yeah, I guess it would be very cool.’’ Jones half smiled, then him and Montoya split and went in two different ways.

\-----------------------------------------------------

Katherine Kane’s apartment. 

Kate’s arms were around her knees, as she was sitting on her bed, undressed, with her scars showing.  
She was crying as life had shown her how difficult it was to do the right thing. The whole world seemed to tell her that she should have become Batwoman and the days before meeting with the DEO had been the happiest in her lifetime. She had the mantle, she had Maggie, but now everything seemed so far, far away.  
She sold her cousin to the Devil, and she would have lost even Maggie once she’d discover what she had done. A bottle of red wine seemed to be all the company she needed in that moment.

A dazzling light suddenly claimed his attention, though. It was the Bat-Signal, the signal she was used to see raise every night.  
But now who was going to take the call with Batman out? And Batwoman, practically, retired.

The doorbell rang, but Kate ignored it, not one, not two, but three times. She didn’t want to see anyone.  
Behind the door, John Jones was desperate, he laid his head against the door. He knew that Kate was having a bad time, but he also knew that the city and the man he fell in love with needed her, also, she was family now. And he didn't want to leave anyone behind. 

‘’Kate, it’s me, John!  
I know that you feel guilty about everything that has happened and is happening but this is not your fault.  
I know the story, it was Bones’ fault. He’s the one who forced you to do those things.  
But he hasn’t win yet.’’ John yelled behind the door, trying to reach for Kate.

‘’Go away!’’ Kate yelled, then threw a pillow against the door.to rest her case.

‘’Listen to me, Katherine. I know Bones, what he’s capable of, what he wants. Some men just want to see the world burn. We ain’t let him do that tonight. We can save Gotham, and your cousin. But I need your help.’’ Jones said, in a very emotional tone.

‘’Nobody calls me like that. And then, I told you to go away. There’s nothing the police can do.’’

‘’But I’m not talking about the police, now…’’ A red aura started to highlight Jones’ feature as the Detective was vanishing in favour of the Manhunter.

Once Kate heard those words, she raised her eyebrows, then quickly wore a white shirt and the first pants she came across, then went to open the door, finding the Martian Manhunter besides her eyes.  
Shocked, she took some steps backwards. 

‘’You… are him…. You saved me that night, not Bruce.’’ Kate said, realizing in a moment what she didn't realize in all that time.

‘’It’s part of my job.  
But now… I didn’t save you to see you surrender.  
Look outside, in the sky, that’s your signal.’’

‘’No, that’s not. It’s Batman’s.’’ Kate murmured, approaching the bottle to her lips, but J’onn stopped her, and lowered her arm. Without even using force, or his clearly superior strength. His touch was delicate, yet very convincing.

‘’When the night gets more noisy, that’s the moment when you have to start dreaming of the upcoming dawn.  
You don’t need wine to go through things, the strength you are looking for is already inside of you.’’ J’onn took the bottle from her hands.

‘’I don’t know if I’m that strong.’’ Kate said, looking at her own hands. 

‘’You are way stronger than you think right now.  
And I need you to be the person I know you can be.  
We all do.’’ J’onn’s eyes glowed red, as his hands gently placed on Kate’s.

‘’I tried to be a hero and you saw what happened.’’ Kate said, and shook her head.

‘’I was a Manhunter in my home planet and my race got almost extinguished. I could stop everything in time, but I didn't.''

‘’Is this supposed to be encouraging?’’ Kate shrugged. 

‘’No, but everyone here is trying to fix a past of mistakes and failures. Being a hero, a vigilante, or just one who tries to do the right thing, it’s not about being perfect, it’s about second chances. And you need to give yourself at least one.  
Go meet Gordon, and then go defend Gotham City alongside your future wife, my partner, the Gotham City Police Department and the SWAT.  
Because Batwoman can do that, and even more.’’ J’onzz said, in an heartfelt way.

‘’And what are you going to do?’’ Katherine asked him.

‘’Free Batman.’’ 

‘’But that’s what Bones wants!’’ Kate protested.

‘’Then he will get what he wants, and it will be his end.’’ The Manhunter turned his back at her and then disappeared, going through the wall. 

Kate stood there for a moment and took a deep breath, then went in her room again, staring at the Bat Signal high in the rainy sky of Gotham, and her eyes glowed again.  
She still had a mission, and she wasn’t the only one.  
The criminals of Gotham were about to face the Justice they couldn’t escape from.


	10. Endgame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Healing Gotham heads straight into the Endgame, with the final battle.  
> Martian Manhunter will have to try and free Bruce from the DEO, while Kate and the GCPD will try to resist against the criminals of Gotham, fighting them near the Asylum.

\--- 20 minutes later ---

Jim Gordon’s head was raised up, still looking in the direction of the white and black bat signal painted in the sky, still hopeful despite the situation, or probably just too desperate. He didn’t want to look down at the city, knowing that he might find the city burning.  
That lasted until he finally heard someone landing behind him.  
So Gordon turned back to look at his interlocutor, sure of finding the Bat.

‘’Finally! I’ve been waiting for y-’’ Gordon remained surprised by the scarlet presence in front of him.

‘’What? Were you expecting someone else?’’ Batwoman raised her eyes up, looking at the bat signal.

‘’To be honest, I just need whoever can help me save this city. Your cape suggest me you are here for this reason.’’ Gordon said, whispering.

‘’Fair point. And you are right, I’m here to free Gotham.’’

‘’Alone?’’

‘’Nobody can save the world alone, just tell your agents I’m in command at the Arkham Island.’’

Batwoman put her feet over the cornice, ready to jump.

‘’Just tell me something before you go… where is he?’’ Gordon asked her.

‘’Soon, he will be where I am.’’ Batwoman replied, before jumping into the void and gliding away.

\-------------

The DEO Headquarters in Gotham.

Had been quite easy for J’onn to find the headquarters of the Operative Base, thanks to Kate’s notes.  
Once inside, J’onn went invisible and awaited to see an agent passing by the main corridor, in order to steal his identity.  
Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait so long until Agent Munroe appeared in all of his ‘’glory’’, so to speak.

‘’You know what man? I think the boss doesn’t treat us as he should. Yes, we do a lot for this Department..’’ J’onn was hearing what Munroe was saying to his fellow agent as he was already standing behind him, in a matter of a few moves, J’onn had put him to sleep for a while and locked him up.  
Taking his appearance and stealing his microphone was the easiest part.

‘’Yes, man. Workaholics like us deserve a raise after what we’ve done last week at L’Havana. I’m telling you!’’ J’onn in the form of the agent Munroe kept talking.

‘’If there is something I hate in this world more than I do hate ananas on pizza is people who had everything from life as birthright. You know, like that Bruce Wayne…’’

‘’Oh yes, you have no idea how much I wish to kick that arrogant hereditary.’’

‘’I bet he cries like a bitch while people kick his ass.’’ J’onn said as he kept looking for Batman’s cell. He knew that they still didn't know Batman's real ID.  
As he was walking, however, he stopped by another room that might be crucial too.  
The control room, where every single moment filmed by cameras was being held.  
So the Martian disguised as a DEO agent introduced himself into the room, and started to interact with the agents inside.

‘’Rooney! How are you?’’ J’onn asked, like he’d been knowing him for his entire life.

‘’I’m good, I’m good, what about you?’’ Rooney replied, patting Munroe on his shoulder.

‘’Me too, thanks.’’ Munroe smiled widely and when Rooney turned his back to watch the monitors, he put two fingers on his head and put him to sleep, exactly like he did with Munroe, and stole his identity.

‘’Commander Howard Wayne Rooney.’’

The computer confirmed the vocal ID, and let him see everything in the building. He scanned every camera, until he found the one that was pointing at Batman. Once he memorized the position, his eyes turned red as Mars and the entire security cameras and system had been turned off. 

He then left the room, and reached for Bruce’s location, there he stood another agent, definitely the younger between the various he’d met until that moment. He also seemed to be worried, like he was truly facing his first great challenge of his new career. It was very clear that he didn’t want to disappoint his new boss.  
If only J’onn could have helped him, but unluckily, he couldn’t at the moment.

‘’Hey young man, there’s no need to feel down.’’ Munroe said coming in behind, as they were now both looking at the glass that contained the Batman. J’onn’s heart lost a beat knowing Bruce was inside there. 

‘’It’s just that I am nervous, Sir… This is a huge task, I could never imagine that his would have been my beginning.’’

‘’Don’t be afraid, everybody had some struggles at the beginning.’’

‘’Which struggles?’’ The red head guy looked at Commander Rooney. Exactly what J’onn needed.

‘’Oh, many struggles…’’ The Martian's eyes became red and after some seconds the guy literally fell on the ground, which captured Batman’s attention.

The Martian took a bottle of water from Agent Rio’s task and then typed the code to open the cell, launching water in all the upper part of the technologic cell, making sure he fried the system.  
Bruce knew that was J’onn, but he waited just to see him turning to his Martian form to let a smile appear on his face. 

Once the Bat was free, The Manhunter smiled himself.  
They couldn’t hug inside of there, even if they surely wanted to.  
Oh, how much they wanted to do it.

‘’I had everything under control..’’ Bruce said.

‘’You surely had.’’ The Martian replied

‘’We have thirty seconds before Bones discovers all of this. What do we do?’’

‘’We face him?’’

‘’Not now.’’ 

‘’So?’’

‘’Read my mind.’’

Bruce nodded.

J’onn broke the wall with his super strength and the whole he created lead straight away from the building, then he took the young agent on the floor and got out of it afterwards.  
Batman followed him, not after having set up a big fire that aimed to burn the place down.  
Of course, people who had been knocked off by J’onn would have had time to recover and escape or try to fight the fire, but that diversion was needed for them to escape and go save Gotham.  
As much as they wanted to get Bones, they had a priority.  
J’onn placed the young agent on the grass in the middle of the Gotham Park and then flew towards Arkham Island, with Bruce following him on his Batwing. 

When they arrived, most of the battle was already being fought. The policemen were having serious issues against Bane.  
Batwoman and her army were fighting the others inmates, with very better results, but the troupes still seemed to need a little help.

‘’You go meet with Dent, I go help Kate.’’

J’onn headed down on the ground, and from the very first moment he made his appearance to the Gotham Criminals, the fight immediately stopped.  
No one was ready for an alien, surely not for The Martian Manhunter.

The Manhunter raised his head and solo’d at least twenty of the worst criminals of Gotham, with the alikes of Black Mask, Victor Szasz, Professor Pyg being brought into their cell again in a matter of seconds.  
Thanks to J’onn, Kate and the police took a breath, before getting into the fight more decisive and angrier than ever, shutting down the criminals’ hopes kick after kick, shoot after shoot. 

‘’Heeeeey!’’ A voice from behind, among the people who had been captured raised high. ‘’I don’t know who ya thin’ to be Big Pea, but you and your girlfrien are deead, sooo deaad. Once Mistah J will know about this, you’re screeeeeewed.’’

‘’Who is that crazy woman?’’ J’onn asked Batwoman, next to him.

‘’Long story short, she was a Doctor assigned to a mad man in the Asylum. She should have healed him, but instead she fell in love with him. An affair on work ended in tragedy.’’

‘’She doesn’t sound like a Doctor.’’ The Martian affirmed.

‘’What does she sound like?’’ The Bat asked.

‘’...Straitjacket wearer?’’ J’onn proposed.

‘’Straitjacket wearer.’’ And Kate confirmed.

J’onn and Kate’s fists joined for a second, but while Batwoman and Martian Manhunter were busy joking, Bane was standing in front of them now. 

‘’I remember you!’’ 

J’onn and Kate looked at each other.

‘’Big green alieno….’’

‘’I think he has a problem with me.’’ J’onn murmured.

‘’And I was about to consider myself offended.’’ Kate replied, looking at him with a smile on her mouth. The ironic moments she was having with J’onn were the first moments of nearly happiness of the latest days for her.

J’onn flew against Bane at a normal speed, and the Santa Prisca’s former inmate replied trying to punch him as he was still up in the air, but J’onn made himself intangible, and while Bane was unbalanced, Kate jumped and kicked Bane’s head repeatedly, before getting a little away from him and hit him with the Anti Venom serum that Bruce had prepared. 

‘’Manhunter. Is that your name?’’ An Italian accent came from behind, both immediately understood that it was Sal Maroni.  
J’onn didn’t even move a muscle that Kate had already silenced him with a well aimed punch.  
Arresting him was a joke for the Agents of GCPD, at that point. 

‘’Now statte zitto, will ya?’’ The Scarlet Bat told the Boss to make silence, also showing off an impressive Italian pronounce.

Do not be afraid anymore of punks like Bane was the reason why Kate understood that she needed to be Batwoman, and now she just had defeated almost every single one criminal in Gotham. The red head woman just lay down on the battlefield ground, waiting for Maggie to reappear, while J’onn decided to go see how Bruce was doing. 

‘’You aren’t Justice.’’ Dent repeated for the tenth time.

‘’But luck, case, that’s not equity.’’ Batman replied.

‘’How’s not equity?’’ Two-Face flipped the coin.

‘’Equity is balance, the only way to reach balance is a long process, not a shot. Lucky’s a shot.’’ Batman threw a Batarang at the coin still at mid air, not allowing it to reveal the verdict.

‘’I don’t put myself in the hands of luck, Batman. I CREATE my luck.’’ Dent extracted a gun and started shooting at the armor. Bruce took some hits, before going into hiding behind a wall. 

‘’Come outside, Bats. I’m not done with you.’’

‘’I’m right here.’’ Batman appeared behind Dent’s shoulders, so little he knew that wasn’t the true one.

‘’Finally you found your balls again! Dying with dignity, I like it!’’ Two Face started shooting.

‘’Good for you.’’ Batman took every single hit without even flinching, until Dent ended the loader. Then, Batman collapsed to the ground and fell off the rooftop because of the several hits.

‘’I WON. THE BAT’S DEAD. I KILLED BATMAN!’’ Dent immediately screamed at the sky.

A moment to celebrate.

A day to remember.

Justice had been done. 

Unluckily for Two Face, the difference between dream and delusion sometimes really lied in the details.  
He didn’t even see it coming that the real Batman was standing tall behind him.

‘’Head or Tails?’’ 

Dent listened to the words coming from behind and immediately looked down, where the body of the fake Batman had disappeared. Once he turned back to look at him, he got punched so hard that he put him KO. The Martian Manhunter’s plan did work, once again.

‘’You are right. 

I am not Justice. 

I - Am - VENGEANCE.’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Healing Gotham will return soon with its last Chapter, the Eleventh.


End file.
